


Love on the Battlefield

by gwenchou, serasvictorian (Lucyndareads)



Category: Hellsing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Gen, M/M, Multi, Past Child Abuse, Political Alliances, Size Difference, Wings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2018-12-25 07:30:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 137,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12031113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwenchou/pseuds/gwenchou, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucyndareads/pseuds/serasvictorian
Summary: "The course of true love never did run smooth."Britannia and Wallachia, two neighbouring kingdoms, are locked in a centuries-long war. In a desperate attempt to save future countless lives from being lost, Prince Vladislav Alucard Tepes III and Princess Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing are arranged into a marriage wrought with prejudice, hatred, and strife. It would be hard-pressed to find a more ill-suited pair, until the two royals begin to realize that they are drawn to each other like opposing magnets.However, their relationship will prove to be the least of their struggles...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WOW. Ok. Welcome to the ride. 
> 
> I (serasvictorian) and gwenchou have been working on this rp for more than four months now, and we love it so much that Gwen gave me permission to edit it into a story for you to enjoy (special thanks to MarianLeigh for edits)! 
> 
> It's been a true labor of love, and we're so excited to see the public reaction. This story is probably going to be more than 500,000 words (we haven't counted it all and the rp is still in progress), and it is going to GO places. Fun places. 
> 
> A few warnings: 
> 
> Rape will be in the plot more than once. It will NEVER be romanticized. Rapists will not be forgiven or made friendly characters (i.e. Alucard is not a rapist). That's a promise. Same with abuse/child abuse. 
> 
> Heating cycles will be a big part of the plot, but don't be mistaken; this is NOT an a/b/o or omegaverse fic. No knotting, or anything. Just a period of time where people really want to do it.
> 
> There are many OCs in this story, but none of them will play an integral role until later.
> 
> Please give it a chance! It may not be the Alutegra fic you were expecting, but you will probably fall in love with it like we did :)

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" protested Integra, jumping to her feet and slamming her hand on the table, her wings twitching under her cloak.

All of the members of the Council of Twelve looked at her in shock, scandalized at her outburst. "Princess Integra," blustered Sir Penwood. "Sit down at once! This is not a circus!"

Integra took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "My apologies," she said, sitting back down. "But this has to be a complete joke, Your Majesty—“

"No joke, I'm afraid, Princess," said the Queen calmly, gazing down at her. "It is completely serious. Something must be done to unite Britannia and Wallachia, and Queen Tepes and I have spoken intently about what that something could be. It's simple; he has a widowed son who is in want of a bride, and I have a virginal granddaughter in need of a husband."

Integra let out a slight growl, looking down at the floor in shame at the mention of her virginity. It was a crucial selling point of an unmarried girl in Britannia, and it made all the male nobles around her give chase like dogs—well, that and her status as next-in-line for the throne. "That is all very well," she said haughtily, drawing herself up even more than before. "But, as you know, I would make a terrible bride, especially to... to one of those people. I'm hardly a selling point for Britannia—“

"Child, that is enough," snapped the Queen, and Integra was silenced by the tone of her voice. "You have no choice in the matter. You do not even need to say yes; I have already given Prince Vladislav your hand. He is on his way to Britannia now, and he is very satisfied with his prospective bride.”

 _He'll rape me in our wedding bed_ , thought Integra, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails bit into her palms. She had no interest in bedding any man, even less so in bedding a Wallachian barbarian who wouldn't hesitate to use her body in any way he saw fit.

"Princess Integra," the Queen prompted, noticing her inner struggle. "You will be the epitome of grace, modeling the best of Britannia's fine nation while brokering peace with Wallachia. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Integra defeatedly, nodding her head. "I... I will." If only she had been given more notice, she would have had more time to plan... but of course, that was why Her Majesty took so long to tell her. This was a coup against her, pure and simple.

"Excellent," said the Queen pleasantly. "Sir Irons, the schedule."

Sir Irons, who had known Integra since she was born, was looking at her sadly. "Ah, yes, Your Majesty. Prince Vladislav will be coming in tomorrow, the wedding will be at the end of this week, and the Princess Integra will be heading off to Wallachia with her interpreter.

 _I won't even be able to speak his fucking language_ , thought Integra, biting her lip until it bled. _And I'll be living in his filthy country_. But there was nothing she could do, and she knew it. She would be married this week to a savage, and spend the rest of her life in a loveless, political hellhole of a marriage.

 

* * *

 

"I won't do it," Alucard replied with a shrug, reclining back onto his lounge pillow and spreading his wings to their full span with a lazy little beat; a not-so-subtle fuck you to his father. "Simple as that." He reached over to dip a slice of jerky into a bowl of cayenne-honey sauce, appeared relaxed as ever.

King Tepes's eyebrow twitched at his son's impertinence, his own wings flaring with annoyance. Just because his son was acting Prince General of the Army, he thought he owned the whole goddamn kingdom. "Don't be a brat," He growled, kicking the bowl aside and glowering down at the disobedient prince. "you're not some spoilt fledgeling, Alucard. This alliance is the only viable way to make peace with those bo...Britannians."

Alucard smirked up at his father. "You were going to say ‘boundbacks’, weren't you? It sounds like you're not much happier about this cowardly truce than I am, Father."

King Tepes bared his teeth, cuffing one of Alucard's horns sharply. "It is practicality, you war-mongering fool! We've lost thousands to this war and for what?! One goddamn port and a useless island! I'll not waste our soldiers on a senseless struggle for land when neither kingdom is willing to concede." He drew in a calming breath and turned away. "Therefore, this is the only way we can settle and focus our resources on Il Vaticano. I am sorry that you'll be paired with a woman who could hardly hold a candle to Jusztina, but it must be done. Do you want me to send your Mother in to speak to you instead?” That was a true threat; Queen Tepes wasn’t anywhere near as gentle as her husband.

Alucard lowered his eyes, the first sign that his father could see that the news had truly bothered him. "To lose my wife and then besmirch her memory with marriage to the general of one of the Brittunculi that killed her. What a disgrace,” he mused to himself with a long sigh.

His father gave a sigh of his own. "I know. I am sorry. But it must be done. So that others like Jusztina will not fall in a battle with no victor,” he repeated, laying a rough palm on Alucard's shoulder.

Gradually, Alucard's wings fell to rest on the ground in defeat. "When must I go to Britannia,” he asked in a flat, cold voice, his eyes falling shut as he struggled to come to terms with what he had to do.

“Today.”

 

* * *

 

"Seras, I want to die," moaned Integra, looking at her reflection. She was currently being laced into a high-necked white wedding dress, which somewhat felt like she was being mummified. She had already been coated with a thick layer of makeup that paled her normally dark skin a few shades, and her hair was already pulled into a dramatic jeweled headdress. Now all that was left was to step into the painful shoes and the horror would be complete.

"Nonsense!" said Seras, trying her best to be upbeat and cheer up her miserable mistress. "You look very refined, my lady. Like a marble statue." If she were being honest, she thought that Integra looked far lovelier when not so bound and primped, but it was not her place to say. "And this won't be anywhere near as bad as you're thinking, I'm sure."

"Oh?" said Integra, raising an eyebrow. "You're the one who's studied Wallachian language and culture; is that really what you think?"

Seras bit her lip, remembering all the words the Wallachians had for violence and battle. "Ah... well..." she sighed, reaching up to put a hand on Integra's cheek and turning her lady's face to hers. "I will be there with you, my lady."

Integra pressed her lips together, reaching out to put her hand over Seras's. "I'm... frightened," she admitted tightly. "I hate it, but I am. I don't... I don't want to do this, Seras."

"I will be there with you," Seras repeated. "Every step of the way.”

Integra sighed, taking one more moment to compose herself before stepping into her uncomfortable shoes with a wince and throwing her veil over her head. "Very well, Seras. I'm ready. Lead me to the savage."

Music began playing in the church, and Seras escorted Integra out of the dressing room and into the grand hall. Everyone stood up out of respect for the bride as Integra began walking towards what she was sure would be her end.

 

* * *

 

"Pip, do me a favor and kill me. I can't believe I'm doing this." Alucard groaned, grasping the base of his horns. He had already been stuffed into what Britannians considered 'appropriate wedding attire' in Wallachian style; a maroon cloak lined with black wolfskin over a high-collared tunic and vest lined with gold, his pants tucked into black shining boots. The heavy robe weighed down his wings rather painfully instead of revealing them through slits as he usually would, but he suspected that was the point. _Prudish bastards_ , he thought to himself as he ducked for Pip to arrange the gold around his horns.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, my lord," Pip replied distractedly around his cigarette, slipping two gold bands onto his horns and securing them with a glimmering chain, "Though I can't say I don't pity you. Britannians are as frigid as they come; your wedding bed is going to be a cold one."

Alucard snorted, adjusting his wings irritably under the dense cloth. "Are they really that bad?"

Pip finished arranging the jewelry and crown, stepping back with a smirk. "Are you surprised? They're so wrapped up in their rules that they even need to ask permission from their Queen to take a piss!" He chuckled, stubbing out his cigarette against one of his own chipped horns and shaking out the ashes. "If anything, they're very beautiful. I can give them that."

Humming disinterestedly, Alucard brushed the ashes from Pip's coat. "I don't give a damn if she's pretty; pretty things are rarely strong. She'll probably be whining all the way back to Wallachia after an hour on horseback, complaining from bruises." He grumbled, raising his head when he heard the music begin. "Ah, my death bells toll."

"Well, the Britannians do have that saying—'life ends at marriage'." Pip said grimly, patting his general on the shoulder. "Come, milord."

Alucard, never one to back down from a challenge, gave a brief nod of his head. "Time to meet my angel of death." With that, he entered the great hall and made his way to the altar as Britannian customs dictated. Pip was at his heels with a hand on the pommel of his sword; neither one of them would put it past the Britannians to make such an elaborate ruse just to murder the Wallachian prince.

Though he was determined to see this through, Alucard nearly stopped in his tracks when he saw the creature at the end of the hallway—that couldn't be a person, could it?. He couldn't make heads or tails of the being before him. She looked wingless, tiny and white, like some sort of misshapen ghost or an entirely different species from himself. He had slaughtered thousands of Britannians on the battlefield and none had looked quite so...spectral.

It made him feel ill, comparing this moment with his marriage to Jusztina.

Integra nearly turned and bolted out of the nearest door when she saw her husband-to-be appear. He looked exactly as she expected; ugly, monstrous, too tall and hairy. She could see the shape of his wings—clearly he wasn't binding them, the savage—and they were so _large_. And then, she saw the horns and barely kept herself from shuddering. Horns. All of the targets she had used for shooting practice had horns; she knew to aim at them when she fought. She was marrying a monster, who she knew from whispered stories had murdered thousands of her countrymen. She didn't even wish to look at him. She wanted to shoot him where he stood—certainly not marry him.

Instead she bowed her head ever-so-slightly.

With the glare of his father's eyes on his back, Alucard bowed his head in greeting to the creature that was to be his wife and took her hands in his. She felt too warm, like there really was blue fire in her blood as the legends claimed. He looked to the pagan Wallachian priestess, her red robes and the soft clatter of the crow's bones around her wrists a small comfort to him in such a foreign setting. She was looking very uncomfortable, standing next to the Christian Britannian priest who was clad in an odd white outfit.

She cleared her throat and said, ”We gather here to unite these two people, two kingdoms, two hearts, in marriage; Alucard Vladislav Tepes III, and Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing."

As the Wallachian prince took her hands, Integra shivered; his were so cold. Lifeless. Like a corpse. All of the Britannians murmured to each other about how it was such a shame that Princess Integra Hellsing of all people was being chained to such a brute—her slim, white-clad figure was dwarfed by his beastly one.

Alucard looked over the form of his soon-to-be wife, looking for a person underneath all that binding, but found no one. _Just another mark on the battlefield_ , he thought to himself, wondering at how easy it would be to cleave her hornless head from her shoulders the moment they were alone, to drink deep from her veins.

(Though her sickly, inbred blood would hardly sate him).

Her slim fingers trembled in his touch; he couldn't suppress a smile at that. The Wallachians in pews growled their disapproval, looking downright bloodthirsty.

Pip sighed through his nose, wondering how long exactly the Wallachians would be able to keep their collective temper. There was certain to be rioting when their lips met—if they got that far. He knew Alucard was likely contemplating murder when he smirked darkly down at his bride. _At least the lady-in-waiting is cute. Hope she doesn't get the axe when all this goes sour._

Seras didn't like the way the Prince's attendant was looking at her. It wasn't hostile; quite the opposite, it was almost friendly. Gross. Just because she learned the language, didn't mean that she was looking to make any Wallachian friends. Especially since she was distracted by the way the Prince was looming over her lady, giving her a very sinister look. She put a hand on her sword, glaring up at him. The Britannians had prepared—albeit reluctantly—to tolarate the Wallachian's crude behavior, but they had their limits; she hoped no one would come to blows.

Pip frowned. He knew they would have to interact quite a bit in the future, and attempted to lower his wings to appear less threatening only to find the cloak did the job for him. _Ah well. I suppose she's just a skittish Brit, after all._ He quietly tapped the pommel of his sword with his palm; it showed he acknowledged her readiness for battle to the crowd, but hardly deemed one puny Britannian a threat to his Prince. A few Wallachians in the crowd even chuckled at the gesture.

Seras noted this, but It didn't bother her in the slightest; on the contrary, she smiled widely at him, her eyes not happy in the slightest. She loved when she was underestimated; it always gave her such a thrill to wipe the smirks off her opponents faces when they actually began fighting. All of Britannia knew about Seras Victoria, the great warrior who killed her parents' murderers at the tender age of nine.

Pip barely restrained himself from taking a step back. He had no desire to be the one to break negotiations by teasing a Britannian into a fight—that was Alucard's job—much less make an enemy out of someone he'd have to see every day. Again, he wished he could use his wings for a non-verbal apology, but no such luck. How did the Britannians do it?

Meanwhile the priestess went on with her speech, disgust barely hidden behind a calm facade, even going so far as to lower her eyes when she spoke the final words; "You may kiss the bride.” The priest didn't even attempt to hide his distaste; he turned away to prevent himself from having to see the girl that he had baptized kissing a monster. He simply repeated the priestess's words in Breton, so that the Britannians would understand.

Alucard's smirk turned into a half-grimace that bared a sliver of his fangs and he lifted the veil from the Britannian's face.

 _How dare he smirk at me?_ Integra thought, steaming with anger under the veil. That anger was paired with fear, though; she did not like the way Vladislav was staring at her. But when he began to lift her veil, she took a deep breath and schooled her features into stone; her look clearly communicated that she wasn't someone to be messed with.

Alucard was focused solely on the woman before him. Her eyes were burning blue like her legendary blood, glaring her hatred and disgust for him with a passion he had only seen on the battlefield. His grimace grew into a genuine, if mocking smile. _At least she has spark enough not to cower upon meeting my eyes,_ he thought amusedly to himself before the realized the unfortunate truth: she had bared her face to him to be kissed.

His heart squeezed painfully as he bent his head to her level, and outrage at his situation fueled him to press his lips to hers in an acceptably long, hatred-fueled kiss.

Integra had only a brief period of time to deepen her glare at the way the monster smiled at her, as if this was all a game to him, before he was pressing his lips firmly to hers. She froze for a moment, fighting between retching in disgust and wriggling away at the way his fangs brushed her lip. Then she moved into action, leaning up in the pretense of taking his head in her hands when in fact she was digging her (sharp, long) nails into his scalp, daring him to hold out the kiss as long as he could.

Alucard grunted. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant sensation—he always did like a little pain to his pleasure—but the fact that it was a Britannian attacking him like a feral cat made him feel nauseated. He licked into her mouth once and dragged his fangs across her tongue to spite her before drawing back, his expression deadly.

Any satisfaction that Integra felt hearing Vladislav’s grunt was washed away within an instant. She let out a soft squeak of shock when she felt his fangs, stumbling back as soon as he let her go with an expression of terrified outrage. She had a fervent desire to rinse her mouth out with soap and water, just to forget that this brute tasted like sweet smoke and spices.

Alucard's grimace of disgust grew darker as the girl stumbled back, looking furious—as if she hadn't initiated the battle in the first place, or hadn't expected him to respond in kind.

As she saw the Wallachian Prince assault Integra, Seras put her hand on her sword and squeezed tightly. But she knew better than to interrupt the ceremony.

Pip's eyebrows raised in shock and gave a quiet groan of weariness; of course Alucard would make it as lascivious as possible just to spite the Britannians. Public displays of affection were not taken lightly in Britannia, not even in weddings, so he wasn't surprised to see the Princess's attendant react with such hatred. He gave a warning shake of his head and an apologetic frown in the hopes that the wedding wouldn't erupt into a bloodbath.

The Wallachians in the crowd hissed and murmured curses as they clapped when they were bidden, and the Britannians in the audience shook their heads and fists. Some of them were teary eyed.

"I then pronounce you husband...and wife." The priestess concluded with a pained sigh, making a gesture of blessing upon the couple. "May your descendants look on your joined crest with pride. Amen."

Alucard jerked his head over his shoulder at Pip when the music began again; it was time to go.

Integra stood at the altar in mute astonishment. 

Gently, Seras put her hand on her lady’s shoulder. “My Princess, it’s time to get ready to leave,” she murmured.

Integra started, before looking at her and nodding. “Yes, of course,” she murmured distantly. She barely said a word as she was guided back to her chambers and was changed into a slightly more comfortable ice blue gown and tiara, the heavy makeup wiped off her face in favor of a slightly lighter coverage. Even as she changed out of the hated shoes into more comfortable ones, Integra couldn’t feel any relief. Seras’s repeated murmurings that she was going to be alright couldn’t penetrate the panic coursing through her.

As she left her room and walked downstairs with Seras, she stiffened even more when she saw Prince Vladislav—her new _husband_ —looking up at her with a glare.

Alucard had grown more and more jumpy as he waited for his new wife to change; he didn’t want to spend another second in such a terrible and stifling country. The sooner he could free his wings, the better. The moment he saw the Princess walk down the stairs, he grunted and grabbed the creature's gloved hand in his. Then he headed straight for the carriage outside the church, ready to leave the disgustingly rainy fields of Britannia as soon as possible.

As her hand was grabbed, Integra's mind rushed with panic; were they leaving already? She thought she would have time to say goodbye to everyone... to look at the homeland that she would undoubtedly never see again. And how dare this brute pull her by the hand like he was tugging on the leash of his bitch? She didn't rip her hand away—at least, not until they had left the church and were relatively more alone than they were before. "How dare you?" she demanded in Breton, forgetting that he wouldn't be able to understand her.

Alucard looked back at Integra in surprise; it was as if she was shouting nonsense at him. "What in the blazes are you squawking about?" He replied, giving her a look of annoyed confusion before climbing into the carriage.

Integra only growled. She forgot how brutish Wallachian could sound.

Pip glanced over his shoulder at the Princess's attendant, wondering if she would try to stab the Prince in the back. "Nice ceremony, wasn't it?" he joked tiredly to her, his Breton accented but pleasant and understandable. "No one was slaughtered so I suppose it was a success. I… the Prince acted out of bounds with that kiss.”

Seras was somewhat pacified when she looked over at the Wallachian Captain, seeing that he wasn't pleased about the vulgarity of the kiss either. His comment was harmless, and his Breton was excellent, really; very civilized. Realizing that this man would be her only other companion for what would probably be quite a while, she sighed, resolving herself to playing nice. "It is a miracle that no blood was spilled," she replied in near-flawless Wallachian, before immediately turning to her mistress and putting a placating hand on her arm. "Save it for the carriage, my lady, please," she murmured, back in Breton. "People could still be watching."

Pip smiled at the Princess's attendant's excellent Wallachian, happy to have someone other than grouchy Alucard to talk to on the long ride to the midway castle. "It is, isn't it? I thought for certain there'd be heads falling down the aisle instead of flower petals."

Integra grunted in a very un-princesslike manner as she stepped up and inside the carriage without another word, Seras following to sit next to her. It was assumed that Integra would sit across from her new husband; it was only proper in Britannia.

Normally in Wallachia the husband and bride would sit together for convenience's sake—it made the usual heavy petting and other bonding rituals for newlyweds easier. Alucard, however, had no desire to lay a finger on the slip of a creature he had been wed to and gladly sat down opposite her.

As he got into the carriage, Integra shuddered. He seemed to suck all of the air out of the small space; she felt the desire to bash open the window and stick her head out of it in the mad search for air.

Pip climbed into the carriage last. He glanced between the unhappy couple, shrugged, sat down beside Alucard, and shut the door behind the four of them. The carriage gave a gentle rumble and began down the well-paved road. "It really wasn’t a bad ceremony, though. I'd never been inside a Britannian church. Very...how's the word...monotheistic." Pip said, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket. "Cigarette, ladies?"

Alucard plucked one for himself, struck a match against his horn to light it, and puffed sullenly out the window. "Hardly enough room to spread a wing in here." He grumbled, shuffling off his cloak and spreading his wings as far as he was able—Britannian coaches were so small. Pip swatted the feathers casually from his face, as was usual in Wallachia, but had the decency not to spread his own.

Integra gasped when Alucard uncovered his wings, leaving them exposed and naked. Then she looked away and flushed deeply. She couldn't remember the last time she saw someone's wings uncovered—perhaps in a textbook? At any rate, his looked weathered; they boasted a few scars and missing feathers— _stop looking, you idiot!_ she chastised herself, feeling incredibly dirty.

Even Seras was not immune to the shock of seeing a man's wings exposed, despite her readiness for it being a staple of Wallachian culture; she flushed a pretty sky-blue and looked in the same direction as Integra did. "Ah, no thanks; I don’t smoke,” she said to the Captain in Wallachian with a nervous giggle. "And yes, I suppose they are very monotheistic. Uh... that is how we do things here. I'm sure I'll see when we get there, but I assume your temples are quite different."

Alucard ruffled his feathers as best he could in the cramped space heedless of Integra and Seras's shocked stares, hating the unusual sensation of having his wings compressed. They would probably need to stop along the way so he could stretch. He breathed a cloud of smog out the window and rested his chin in his hands, intent on completely ignoring everyone in the carriage until it was absolutely necessary to speak.

Pip glanced between Seras and Integra's reactions and sighed before placing a cigarette between his teeth, lighting it in the same way Alucard had. Subtly admiring the pretty flush on the attendant's cheeks, he sat back in his seat and crossed his legs. "Ah, yes, they're quite different. Your churches don't really have the..." He paused, searching for a phrase that wouldn't paint the Wallachians in a more 'barbaric' light than the Brits already expected, "the amount of decoration you'd usually find in a Wallachian temple." He reached over and tapped the ashes out of the carriage window. "I just remembered—I haven't introduced myself. I'm Phillipe; Phillipe Bernadotte. But call me Pip." He said with a short smile. He paused, then added, “Please." This was all in Breton.

"Oh, well..." said Seras in Wallachian, trailing off as she tried not to assume the worst about a Wallachian temple. "That's fine. Neither Princess Integra or I are very religious, truth be told, so it really doesn't matter." Pip was a nice name, she decided. "I am Seras Victoria," she said with a nod of her head. "Attendant to the Princess."

Pip nodded, smiling amiably. "Well, nice to formally meet you, Seras Victoria." He bowed his head in greeting, too far away to kiss her on both cheeks as was the typical greeting in Wallachia—that, and he hardly thought the gesture would be taken well. This was a Brit he was dealing with, after all.

"Nice to formally meet you, Pip," replied Seras with an answering nod of her head and a slight smile. She was so relieved to see that a Wallachian had manners.

Alucard glanced up at the exchange between his and the Princess’s attendants, hearing Pip's familiar name among the too-fast, consonant-full jabber of Breton words. He saw the blue tinge to the Princess’s cheeks and gave a short smirk. He made a point of spreading his wings wider, intimidation and pride clear in his wings' body language. "What's the matter, little jay? Never seen an unbound wing before?" He taunted in Wallachian.

Integra turned her head when she heard that dreaded man speak, her face only flushing further when she picked up the tone of what he was saying. "Seras, what is he saying?" she demanded, tugging at her attendant's arm.

"Um..." said Seras, glaring up at Alucard. "He's asking if you have ever seen an unbound wing before?"

"You bastard—no, I haven't," Integra snapped at the Prince, trying not to cringe away at such an obvious display at intimidation. "I also haven't seen a lumbering gorilla so close up before, but I suppose there is a first time for everything!"

Seras snorted with laughter, covering her mouth immediately.

Pip also couldn't help his incredulous laugh at his Prince's expense; he had to give it to the Princess, she had guts for a Brit.

Alucard, however, looked less amused at Integra's tone and the ensuing laughter. A low growl rumbled up from his chest, frightening Pip into silence. Both Integra and Seras moved a touch closer to each other, unconsciously seeking security. He looked almost like an ill-tempered dragon, with smoke breathing out from his nostrils and wings flared—an intimidating sight, to be sure. "And what exactly is so hilarious, Pip?"

Pip ducked his head and lowered his hidden wings in a gesture of apology. "I—apologies, highness. She said, no, she hasn't seen an unbound wing before, and then she..." He trailed off, struggling to make his response diplomatic. "she made an unfortunate comparison, milord. In jest."

Alucard exhaled another cloud of smoke, heavy eyebrows furrowed as he thought. Eventually, he gave a low chuckle and dropped his wings a fraction. "A Britannian who can make a joke. Now I've heard everything." He huffed, crushing his cigarette between his fingers and popping it in his mouth, swallowing it a moment later.

Pip winced; Wallachian cigarettes may have been edible, but to eat one just after putting it out? It must've burned like a bitch. _Alucard really will do anything to make himself look scary, won't he? Not exactly helping our cause_... He sighed to himself.

Seras sighed in relief when Vladislav seemed to find humor in Integra's reply, despite hating how condescending he was to her people. Then, she looked stunned as he swallowed the cigarette. _That would hurt so much... what manner of creature is he?_

Integra's eyes widened slightly at the spectacle, before narrowing. "What a monster," she spat, before turning to look out the window once more.

Seras looked at Pip in a panic, begging him not to translate that.

Pip's eyebrows rose with affront as Integra used a common Wallachian slur aloud—it was difficult not to be offended, but he could also easily see where Integra had gotten that impression; Alucard had not been on his best behavior, and now he was resorting to theatrics to make himself even more unapproachable. He would've rolled his eyes if he could, but the effect wasn't quite the same while wearing an eyepatch.

"What was that?" Alucard asked with a final puff of smoke, recognizing the venom in Integra's tone and bristling again.

Pip opened his mouth to reply, but after he met Seras's panicked eyes he sighed resignedly. "She said she didn't want to talk anymore," he said, which wasn't quite a lie—Integra really didn't seem to want to speak to Alucard any more than necessary.

Alucard hummed, adjusting his fur cloak so he could rest his cheek against it. He didn't think he could handle being conscious in the presence of this creature for a moment longer without being ill. "That makes two of us. I'm going to sleep,” he muttered, raising one great dark wing and laying it over himself like a blanket—or a shroud to cover his face.

Seras exhaled in relief when the terrifying Prince went to sleep. “My lady,” she said to Integra, “You really have to be careful when you say such things—“

"What does it matter?" said Integra flatly, watching Vladislav cover himself up to sleep. "He's going to rape, kill, or eat me no matter what I do. Perhaps a combination of the three." She said these words with a devil-may-care tone, but her hands shook and she swallowed nervously. "I... I want to sleep too, Seras." _God, I just want to be unconscious._

Seras looked distressed at Integra's speculation, opening her mouth to refute her lady's words. But then Integra expressed her desire to sleep, and Seras knew that was probably the best way to calm her down. "Here, my lady," she said, digging in her bag before pulling out a blanket that Integra could rest her head on. "Sleep well."

Integra mumbled a thank you as she took the blanket, nesting it against the side of the carriage and squirming a bit until she got comfortable. It took her about ten minutes to finally fall asleep.

Seras smiled fondly at her lady as Integra finally drifted off to sleep and the stress melted from her proud face. Integra only seemed to be happy when she was asleep in general lately. It troubled her.

"As you say in Britannia, we 'dodged a bullet' there," Pip mumbled to Seras in Breton as soon as both of the royals were asleep, tapping his ashes out the window. "I can't wait till they learn enough of Breton and Wallachian so they can understand each other's insults…"

"Oh, god, I'm not looking forward to that," moaned Seras, thinking of the bloodbath that would almost certainly ensue. "Thank you, though; really, Pip.”

"Not a problem. I have no desire to be the one responsible for this whole arrangement's collapse. If a few things get lost in translation, it's hardly my fault, is it?" Pip chuckled dryly, settling back into his seat and folding his arms. His eyebrows furrowed with the desire to defend Alucard's reputation and that of his countrymen— _he isn't always this much of a complete ass, we're not as bad as we seem, the Rhinelanders are the ones for cannibalism and rape_ —but knew it would be fruitless to try and convince the Britannian women otherwise. He ran a hand through his hair and stubbed his cigarette out on his horn before tossing it out the window like a civilized person.

After about a half hour, it was getting stuffy in the carriage—even with the windows open, it felt to Pip that the Britannians generated too much heat to be comfortable, and his heavy cloak wasn't helping matters. He'd love to simply take off his cloak and top, but then there was the matter of the Britannian in the carriage... _Someone has to prove that we're not all ridiculous barbarians. We have manners, damn it!_

"Er, Seras?" he whispered, careful not to wake the brooding royals. "I'm going to take my cape off. Do you mind if I...?" He flexed his wings under his cloak to show what he meant.

Seras had been lost in thought about what she could possibly do for fun in Wallachia. ”What?" she said, her thoughts interrupted by Pip's question. "Oh!" She flushed deeper at the thought of seeing this man's wings; seeing how they flexed under the fabric was enough to fluster her. It was... it was just so shocking! So savage! But he had asked so nicely, and it wasn't as if Seras couldn't handle herself if anything happened... "Not at all," she squeaked. "Please, make yourself comfortable!"

Pip smiled gratefully. "Thanks, I appreciate it. I'm going to sweat to death if I don't take this coat off."

"You're welcome," said Seras, relieved that his only reason for wanting his wings free was a simple temperature increase.

Pip quickly took off his cloak and nearly groaned with relief as he spread his wings as far as the carriage would allow. They were reddish-brown, like his hair, streaked through with dark brown, cream, and premature grey. They looked battle-worn, like his Prince's, but far more well-groomed. He flexed them experimentally a couple times to see if there was any cramping; he winced as he stretched out a kink.

When he had stretched his wings out to his liking, he flopped back into his seat with a satisfied smile. "Ah, that's much better...sorry about that." he added in Breton, though he made no move to hide his wings further.

Seras’s jaw dropped when Pip revealed the wings, stretching them out widely. _Oh, god... those are beautiful. I wonder how they would feel if I touched them..._ She bit her lip, trying to keep such impure thoughts from entering her head. "It's fine," she said tightly. “I... er.”

Pip couldn't help the self-satisfied smirk from crawling onto his lips at Seras's expression of awe, then closeted admiration. He ruffled his wings a little in acceptance of her appreciation before realizing she probably had no idea what the gesture meant; it gave him an odd sort of excitement that he had put forth a minor courting gesture to a Britannian, of all people.

 _Ah, well. No harm done if she didn't understand it._ He sighed. "I don't see how you Britannians do what you do. I don't mean that in a critical way, I just...can't imagine having to lock my wings up all the time. Doesn't it get uncomfortable? I mean—feel free not to answer. I'm just curious and I've never been able to wrap my head around it."

Seras relaxed a bit at his question. "No, it's fine; I don't mind answering. Our wings are first bound when we're children. At first it's uncomfortable all the time, but you get used to it. And yeah, at the end of a long day it gets old. But you unbind them to sleep and stuff, and that's... nice..." She flushed again.

Pip carefully listened to Seras's explanation and giving a nod when she finished. "So if you bind your wings when you're children, they don't grow with you? They stay small?" He inquired, though the idea was disturbing to him—crippling a child for an ancient beauty standard or religious reason, he wasn't sure. It was certainly interesting to talk to a Britannian who wasn't a prison guard, and was more open about sharing her culture besides. "But I'm sure it feels good to let them loose at the end of the day, right? Do you groom them then, or does the appearance of them matter since they're covered up all the time?"

Seras's eyes couldn't help but track the way Pip's wings rustled, somewhat entranced by the motion. Her own bound wings twitched in response, as if trying to mirror the movement. "Oh no," she said, shaking her head, "It's not like foot binding, or something. They're only bound enough to keep them from moving overly much; there's still enough slack for them to grow. Although I do believe that our wings do not grow as much as yours do." She giggled nervously at the thought of telling this man how she touched her wings. "Uh... we groom them after bathing and in the morning, but it's only perfunctory."

Pip hummed with interest at Seras's elaboration on Britannian wing care and the fact that her eyes were tracking the movement of his wings. He gave them another appreciative ruffle, just because he knew he could get away with the subtle flirtation. "Ah, that makes sense. Well...it makes more sense to me than before. I thought since they were wrapped up all the time they shriveled away or were constantly painful.”

"Oh, god, no," said Seras, wincing at the thought. "That would be terrible for the circulation."

“Good to know that's not the case." Pip said, turning to casually give his own wings a quick clean-up. They were still a little in disarray from the cloak.

Seras watched him touch his own wings with scandalized fascination; how could he touch himself so boldly? She could barely even look at her own wings without feeling a strong sense of shame.

Pip thought for a moment. ”I've never seen a Britannian's wings, so—“ He just barely caught himself before he requested to see hers; he wouldn't be surprised if she cleaved him in two for just asking. "So it's a relief to know you...you know, still have them. Even under all that binding,” he concluded with a short smile, shaking out his wings once he had finished cleaning them and sat back. "It does make you lot pretty hard to read, though."

Seras stiffened as it seemed like Pip was going to ask her to show her own wings, before relaxing when he said something completely different. "Oh, it's not that difficult once you get used to it," she said with a shrug. "It's about the subtle facial tics and language."

"Huh. I guess that's why we Wallachians make such shitty liars, huh? The wings tell all." Pip said with a chuckle.

"Well..." said Seras, smiling apologetically. "If it makes you feel better, almost no Britannians bother learning about wing communication. I only know the movements for anger, sadness, and happiness myself, and I'm one of the more prestigious ones.”

“That's interesting,” Pip said thoughtfully, though he grunted with mild annoyance when Alucard shifted and swatted him in the face with one of his massive black wings, the streaks of deep red glinting in the sunlight from the window.

Seras winced at the swat, but all Pip did was grunt and glare at his Prince before glancing back to Seras with a wry grin. "I suppose you don't have to worry about stuff like that happening all the time, at least. And Alucard—ah, Prince Vladislav, he's the worst about smacking everyone about because, really, look at the size of those things!”

"Yes, we don't ever have to experience that," Seras said gratefully. "His wings are positively enormous; I had no idea they could get that big."

Pip sighed. “Ridiculously huge. Maybe Princess Integra will be able to get him to groom himself better. Speaking of which, if you have any questions about—well, Wallachians and our wings, ask away. This must be quite a culture shock for you, huh?"

Seras chuckled at his speculation. "I'm sure she will try. Oh! I... um..." She trailed off, trying to think of a question that could be considered polite to ask. "I... no, I'm fine, thank you very much.”

“Are you sure?” Pip said, frowning. It definitely seemed as if Seras wanted to ask a question. “Honestly, don’t worry about offending me. Wallachians aren’t easily offended.”

“Well,” Seras said slowly. “I… I was wondering. About you. How did you become so familiar with Breton? Your accent is excellent.”

“Oh,” Pip said dismissively, waving his hand. “As the Captain of the Wallachian army, I engaged in many a battle with the Britannian army. During one of them, I was dumb enough to get captured and spent about a week in a Britannian gaol.”

Seras’s mouth dropped open. “Oh, Pip… how do you not despise me right now?” she said softly.

Pip chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t be upset on my account. It wasn’t a bad week. I was terrified at first; I had heard such terrible stories about your kind. But I was shocked to find that I was treated incredibly humanely. Three meals a day, a change of clothes, a private cell. It was far better than any Wallachian gaol I’d known.”

“Oh,” Seras said uneasily. _What in God’s name is a Wallachian gaol like?_

“It was then that I decided that I wanted to change my mind about you Britannians,” Pip said. “You clearly weren’t the diabolical people that I had always heard you were, so I made a point of befriending a guard and learning your language. After I escaped, I made a point of obtaining a Britannian dictionary and teaching myself everything I could.” He shrugged.

“Oh,” Seras said, surprised at this Wallachian’s wisdom. “That’s very… impressive.”

Pip smiled, taking the compliment well. “Thank you, Seras,” he said with a grateful nod. “How about you? How did you learn?”

Seras shrugged. “I’m afraid my story isn’t anywhere near as interesting. My father was a soldier, but my mother was a historian. She felt like learning about other cultures was important.” She neglected to mention that she was also mostly self-taught, seeing as her parents had died so young.

After their conversation trailed off, Seras ended up nodding off as well. As they slept, her head lolled against Integra's shoulder, who in turn lolled her head against hers.

The carriage came to a halt hours later; much to the relief of everyone inside of it. Alucard had a point about it being too small to accommodate two Wallachians, Integra had slept for most of the trip, and spent the rest sullenly looking out the window, and Seras still seemed on guard despite being a little friendlier to Pip, who really was just dying to leave the tense atmosphere of the carriage.

He leaned over to Alucard and scratched the base of his horns to wake him. Alucard was bound to be grumpy already, and waking him up in his favourite way—scratching his horns—couldn’t hurt to improve his mood a bit.

Alucard groaned sleepily and sat up, bumping his horns on the carriage ceiling with a grunt. "Fuck," He mumbled, shaking his wings out and blearily looking out the window into the night. "We're here already?”

Seras watched in fascination as Pip scratched Vladislav's horns to wake him; she wasn't sure if this intimate touch meant they were lovers, brothers, or close friends. Or perhaps that was how all Wallachians touched each other. She frowned at Vladislav's language, before sighing and turning to Integra. "My lady?" she said softly. "We're here."

Integra nodded and looked out the window, shuddering at the sight of the dark Wallachian castle. _My home now, I suppose._

Two Wallachian servants went to open the carriage doors, bowing low, flattening their wings till the tips touched the ground, and averting their eyes as Alucard stepped out. Pip followed shortly after, though he stayed behind to make sure the Britannians exited the carriage safely. Alucard didn't cast a backward glance to the others, heading straight into the castle with his wings raised and spread to their full span.

 _Yeah, grumpy already. So much for the horn-scritches,_ Pip sighed to himself, extending a hand to help Seras out of the carriage, who took Pip's hand with a nod of thanks. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze as she took his hand, careful to keep his wings still—he may have gotten away with flirting with a Britannian in the carriage, but he wasn't about to risk being seen by another Wallachian.

Seras noted the squeeze with a raised eyebrow, but elected to ignore it.

Pip next offered his hand to the Britannian princess. Integra, however, snubbed Pip's hand for favor of Seras's, looking in confusion at the servants on the ground. _Why are they sniveling like that?_

She turned to Pip. ”You said your name was Bernadotte, yes? Will someone lead Seras and I to my quarters?"

Pip frowned at the phrasing of her question. _She’s not going to be happy about this...still, they're married now, so she can't really expect to sleep in a different room?_ "That's me. Er, yes, I can show you to your quarters." He replied, skirting around the issue of Integra not getting a room to herself.

"Thank you, Captain Bernadotte," said Integra, looking around nervously and shivering in the un-Britannian chilled air.

Pip ordered the porters to follow them before leading Integra and Seras into the castle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Though he was sated with good food and wine, Alucard couldn't help the revulsion in his stomach that reminded him he would be sleeping side-by-side with a Britannian—that his wife was a Britannian, the species whose blood he had drank for a decade, who he hated even more than the pious Vaticanos. He bid his family and companions good night before heading up the stairs with his new bride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! We're back at it again this week :) Please enjoy, and look at the end notes for this chapter!

The castle was surprisingly warm and well-lit, along with being lavishly decorated in reds and golds, with statues of gargoyles and other beasts lining the walls. Seras and Integra were undoubtedly surprised by how civilized everything looked. But still, the decor was not nearly as ornate and detailed as it was in any Britannian establishment.

Pip led them up a long flight of stairs and down several hallways before he came to a stop and opened a large door. "This will be Seras's room,” he said, gesturing them in to look around.

It was decorated much in the same style as the castle below, though with notably more furs laid on a large, four-poster bed. There was also a few pieces of obviously Britannian furniture, though stood out in contrast to the dark wood and stone of the Wallachian pieces. "I hope you'll find it to your liking, Seras. There's an adjoining bathroom and a fireplace if you get cold.”

"Thank you," murmured Seras. "But what—"

"What do you mean, Seras's room?" said Integra sharply, finishing Seras's question. "I assume my room is conjoined to hers?" _Are those... furs? How barbaric!_

"Well, no, actually." Pip began, lowering his wings apologetically. Integra was quite the intimidating person, even if he did tower above her. "Your room is down the hallway, Princess Integra. Seras will easily be able to reach you, and you to her if need be." He explained as the porters set down Seras's luggage in her room. "If you'll follow me, I can show you to...your room, my lady.”

Seras looked worriedly at Integra at the discovery that their rooms would not be conjoined, but Integra waved her off with a determined look in her eyes. "It's fine," she said tightly. "Stay here and unpack, if you like. Thank you, Mr. Bernadotte. Please lead the way."

Pip nodded. He opened the door and headed down the hall to Alucard's room with Integra right behind him, inwardly bracing himself and cursing whoever was foolish enough to shove two political enemies into a room together. He knocked on the door and held his breath.

Integra frowned at this. Why... why was the Captain knocking on the door to her own bedroom?

"Enter," Alucard called from within; he had just finished getting into his casual wear—a low-necked black tunic that was sure to ruffle the Britannians' feathers. He sat on the edge of his bed and began to preen his wings.

At the sound of that familiar and much loathed voice, Integra froze. _No, they couldn’t have…_

Pip sent a quick prayer to the deity of mercy and opened the door, gesturing Integra into the bedroom. "This will be your bedroom, Princess Integra." He explained with a wince, his wings drooping even lower. This was not going to go over well.

Alucard looked quite irate at having his private space invaded by a Britannian, but nodded in greeting anyway. "Come in," he told her in deeply accented Breton, going back to arranging his feathers.

Integra could barely comprehend the situation. There was her barbarian husband, exposed and touching himself so indecently that she felt herself flushing red again."I... I'm to share my room with him?" she said to Pip, her fists clenching. _Please god, tell me this is some sick joke. I have to... I have to live alone with him?_

Alucard chuckled to himself at Integra's flushed face and clenched teeth; he didn't need to understand a lick of Breton to know she was complaining about having to sleep in the bedroom with him. He shook his head and stood, flapping his wings once before gesturing for the porters to set Integra's things down in the corner of the grand suite. They scurried in, eyes down, and set about doing their tasks. Alucard turned to Integra, eyed her critically, and passed both she and Pip, making Integra shudder at the look and sound of those great wings flapping. She found herself pressing herself back against the wall as Alucard strode past her.

"I'll head to the great hall for dinner while she gets settled—I'm starved." Alucard remarked over his shoulder as he headed down the hallway, "Tell her not to worry about the dogs—they only bite cowards!"

Pip groaned, rubbing at the headache that had started behind his good eye. _I'm 29 years too old for this shit._ "The Prince says you have time settle in but to please head down for dinner once you're finished." He translated wearily, "And to mind the warhounds downstairs. They'll be chained up but all the same, please don't try to pet them.”

Integra felt a spark of rage. ”Oh, does he say that?" she said sarcastically, folding her arms. "Oh, how kind of him! How kind to allow me to settle in my own room! I wouldn't pet his filthy dogs if someone paid me!" She stomped around, looking around at the trace artwork, the enormous bed, the windows.

Pip wisely stayed silent as Integra ranted and leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. _Alucard is going to have his hands full with this Brit—till he snaps and breaks her neck,_ he thought grimly to himself. _Or someone else does the job for him_. “Is… is there anything I can do for you before I leave?” he said weakly.

At the sound of his voice, Integra realized she was shaming herself in front of a Wallachian. She sighed, taking a deep breath and attempting to get herself under control. ”Yes, actually, there is," she said in a much calmer tone, turning to Pip and folding her arms again. "Mr. Bernadotte, I ask not for your optimism or delusions. I ask for your transparency. How long do you think I will be allowed to remain alive here?”

Pip frowned. He didn’t want to give her bad news, but… "Honestly, your highness? Between the climate and the people, I give you about a week… at best." His words were blunt but not unkind; she had asked for his true opinion and he had given it. "I personally don't have anything against Britannia—hell, I practically owe your lot my life—but a lot of people here feel differently. The chance to drink a Britannian noble dry? To tear apart a symbol of their enemy? That's been the nightly prayer of a thousand Wallachians for decades now. I doubt there are many people in this castle that won't try." He gave a helpless shrug. "For what it's worth, I am sorry, Princess Integra. I can't believe anyone would think this plan would work, though."

Integra stayed silent for a few moments after Pip's speech, nodding slowly, taking it all in. "A week," she repeated tightly. There was a lump in her throat. "Fair enough. You have your Queen and my foolish Queen to thank for that, Mr. Bernadotte. Thank you for your honesty."

Pip nodded, giving her one wary look before leaving the room and making his way to the dining hall.

Once Pip was gone, Integra continued to try and take deep, calming breaths. Her chest was already squeezing, her breaths were coming short and quick, and she was breaking out in a cold sweat. She attempted to calm down, but it was too late; she collapsed to the ground gasping for air. It was an attack on her senses, and it was a bad one. She couldn't afford to be so vulnerable here—anyone could come into the room now and do whatever they wished to her. Including her husband. Especially her husband. She tried to regain herself through the usual tactics—counting her inhales and exhales, fantasizing that she was in a peaceful garden—but nothing was working. Every inhale she took pumped in the smell of Wallachia, of the unknown and unsafe. Tears streamed from her eyes.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Integra shuddered as if it was as loud as a cannon. She didn't dare to answer, not wanting her sobs to be overheard. Then she grunted in relief as she heard, "My lady? I'm coming in now."

Seras entered the room and sighed as she saw Integra on the floor, immediately dropping to her knees to hug her Princess from behind, squeezing her tightly.

"Seras," gasped Integra, returning her embrace as best she could. "Seras, I can't-"

"You can," said Seras calmly, kissing her cheek. "Come now, Princess Integra. Stand and get changed. I'm with you here, and I will be with you as much as I am able."

Integra nodded, trying to breathe in the sent of Seras and nothing else. Finally, her sobs turned into heavy breaths, and she stood up. She was a bit shaky on her feet, but apart from that and her smeared makeup it would be impossible to know that anything happened. "My apologies," she said flatly. "Help me reapply my makeup."

Seras undid her long hair and put it back up again, wiping off her makeup and re-applying it in a much lighter fashion. Integra exchanged her brown riding cloak for a white one to cover her bound wings, and then the two of them headed down to dinner.

Heedless of the panic upstairs, Alucard had reclined into his usual space near the head of the table, helping himself to the magnificent feast his chefs had prepared for his homecoming. The great hall was warm with flames and powerful spices and loud with chatter, a light cloud of smoke wafting around the dinner party as they ate. People of all genders chatted together and shared food, casually kissing, arguing, and nuzzling as they took part in the feast. There was food of all sorts lining the low table: smoked meats, stews, bread, fruits, sweets, and buttered, spiced vegetables.

Only the King and Queen at the head of the table were propped up with red satiny pillows, able to be seen by all who attended the meal, while the others reclined onto their sides and stomachs so their wings were free to spread in the somewhat crowded space. A seat of honor was placed across from Alucard for Integra, and another was set lower down the line among the lesser nobles and attendants for those like Seras and Pip.

Alucard was flanked by his younger brother, Radu, and an empty seat to his left for his brother Mircea—a tall, reassuring presence with beautiful crimson wings—who was away in Rhineland. Alucard glanced up with muted interest as Integra and Seras stepped into the hall; they were ushered to their seats.

The King greeted Integra with a grin, spreading his grey-streaked black hawk's wings in a show of welcome. "Well! How excellent to find you in good health, Princess Integra! Welcome to Wallachia." He said in accented but perfect Breton.

The Queen bowed her head, gesturing kindly for her to join them. "Come, please sit. It is so lovely to have you with us.” Her Breton was barely accented at all.

Radu snickered, nudging Alucard in the ribs. Alucard grunted and hit his little brother gently with his wing.

As Integra and Seras came in, they were awash with the strong scents of the food, spices, and smoke. The noise and commotion grated harshly on Integra's already fraying nerves, and she hated how everyone was staring at her. There were so many bared wings, long unkempt hairstyles, and... were some of those couples kissing over dinner? Despite her supreme discomfort, she curtsied deeply to the King and Queen, who seemed civilized enough. "I thank you for your hospitality, my king," she said, her voice clearly carrying over the noise. "It is an honor to be here."

Seras quickly translated her words for the rest of the Wallachians; neither of the women were expecting a positive reception, but the queen's orders were orders. Seras went to go sit next to Pip, while Integra moved to the front of the hall to sit across from Alucard as she knew she was expected to do.

The King smiled, graciously nodding his head at Integra's greeting. "We are honored to have you—are We not?" He asked the crowd and was met with immediate, positive response. It was clear that, despite their true feelings about the Britannians' presence, they were too fearful or respectful of crossing their monarchs to voice their dissent. As soon as the Queen's gaze fell upon them, they turned their glares away from Integra and Seras to their food.

The Queen, however, drew back her deep blue wings and smiled calmly down at Integra as she sat to her right so as not to intimidate her; Alucard had inherited his height from her, and Radu had inherited her stunning beauty. "A good and blessed evening to you, my daughter-in-law." She gave the common Breton greeting, smiling with blood-red lips. Her accent was impeccable. "We hope that you are in good health; the weather can be unkind to newcomers."

Integra seemed quite relieved to see both the Queen. Not only was she far more attractive and refined than her new husband, but she also seemed much more welcoming of her presence than everyone else—even though everyone else seemed oddly civil, currently... which was odd. She smiled slightly but genuinely. "A good and blessed evening to you as well, Your Majesty," she said, bowing her head in respect. "At present I am very well; there is definitely a chill in the air that I am unaccustomed to, but it is nothing I can't handle."

The Queen smiled benevolently at Integra's report, nodding her head; the ornate jewelry around her horns tinkled gently with the movement. "We hope that you take care to keep your health, my dear. It is all too easy to catch your death of chill in Wallachia," she warned, though her gentle tone made it seem like nothing more than a mother's reminder to wear a scarf in cold weather.

"Thank you for the warning," said Integra with a grateful nod. This woman seemed to emulate the mother she never had; it was a soothing feeling.

"You are very welcome," the Queen replied, inclining her head before reaching for a glass of wine. "We wish only for your wellbeing among our family.”

Meanwhile, Radu gave an equally charming grin, flaring the tips of his wings to express his pleasure. “Good evening, Princess Integra. How are you finding Wallachia, my dear? It must be dreadfully jarring, coming from Britannia to… all of this."

Alucard huffed, reaching for a goblet of wine. Of course Radu would strike right when she sat down, trying to find a use for a potential new toy.

Integra turned to face the man sitting next to Alucard. If she had her facts straight, the man must be Alucard’s younger brother Radu. She had been picturing a little boy, but Radu couldn’t have been more than five years younger than Alucard, who was in his early thirties. He was also much more handsome than any Wallachian man that she had ever seen, with arresting lavender eyes, perfectly curling black hair, and deep purple wings. He looked lovely and pleasant, unlike his brute of a brother.

Integra sighed in acknowledgement of his words. "It is certainly a drastic change from my home country," she admitted, not wanting to go into full detail about her overwhelmingly negative experience. She tried to make eye contact with him, but was distracted by the movement of his wings.

Radu made a noise of sympathy, touching her arm briefly. "You poor woman—whisked away from your homeland to be surrounded by brutes without so much as a by your leave." He fluttered his wings with distress. "I do hope my brother hasn't been too much of an incorrigible ass. He hasn't the head to talk to civilized folk."

The Queen tutted. "Radu, do not be so harsh on your brother, if you please."

Radu signaled his apology with his wings before turning back to Integra, reaching to shake her hand. "Prince Radu Tepes, at your service, my lady."

"Please, don't do your countrymen such discredit," Integra said, trying to look pleasant in front of the Queen. But the way she looked at Radu communicated that she was completely in agreement. She reached out to shake his hand, not minding his cold touch due to his gentility. "It is a pleasure to meet you," she said sincerely. "A friendly face is much appreciated." _His wings are... actually quite beautiful. Why couldn't I have at least married him?_

Radu chuckled at Integra's veiled criticism, his dimples giving him a handsome, boyish grin. He shook her hand, humming happily at the warmth of her touch. "Likewise, of course! You're truly a diamond in the rough here, my dear. It is so hard to find someone capable of holding a conversation in this country." He shook his head, ducking forward to whisper conspiratorially; "Least of all Vlad. His brain isn't big, but it's crammed up with nothing but war and wine!”

Integra couldn't help but admire this man's features; he was certainly more handsome than any man here, or almost any man back home. She chuckled at his praise, feeling honored that he held her in higher esteem over his fellow Wallachians, and chuckled even more when he insulted his horrible brother. "That doesn't surprise me in the slightest," she said, looking over at Vladislav with a side-eyed expression.

Alucard raised an eyebrow at his brother's mention of his name, certain that it couldn't be anything good. "Radu, for pity's sake, stop talking her ear off and offer her some food."

Radu rolled his eyes, his wings fluffing irritably, and turned back to Integra with a put-upon expression. "He was badgering me about him being the only one able to hold a conversation with you, as if it's some right of his now that you're married.”

Integra’s smile slipped into a frown. ”How vulgar," she said, glaring at Vladislav. "As if he even wanted to talk to me in the first place. And now he's marking his territory? Like hell I'm going to only speak to him!"

Radu couldn’t stop the corners of his lips from turning up; teasing his brother was his favourite hobby. Seducing beautiful people was a close second. "I know, isn't he just? Really, it isn't as if spouses have that claim over each other here...we're not living in the dark ages, for goodness' sake!" He chuckled, shaking his head as Integra glared at his elder brother. "Enough talk of such vulgar things. Some food, my dear?”

Integra calmed down a bit at the thought of food, smiling despite herself at Radu’s term of endearment. "Yes, food would be lovely," she said. She couldn't remember the last time a man had ever impressed her this much.

Radu nodded. “I’ll prepare a plate for you, my darling." Wings twitching with delight, he reached over to take Integra's plate and began to arrange a few pieces of meat and a bowl of stew onto it, choosing the spiciest foods on the table.

Alucard noticed Radu’s choices and growled, taking the plate out of his younger brother's hands. "Her mouth will set on fire if she eats that, Radu—Britannians can't handle more than seafood and plain bread. I'm not going to share my bed with someone who'll be sick all night from eating something too rich,” he scolded, moving the food onto Radu's plate and preparing a plate of milder foods—fruits, bread, and a couple slices of smoked meat. "There. See if that suits her weak palate."

"Oh, very well, you spoilsport." Radu replied in Wallachian with a pout, flicking the tip of his wing against Alucard's head before turning back to Integra and speaking Breton. "My brother insists that you try some of the less rich foods first, for some strange reason. They're not nearly as tasty—I do apologize for his impertinence." He sighed, setting the plate before Integra. "Really, how presumptuous of him to assume what you'd like..."

Integra had watched Radu make her plate uneasily; she had been warned by some members of the Council who had been to Wallachia before that the food would be far too rich for her Britannian palate, but she didn't want to seem weak and lose Radu's respect by rejecting the food he offered to her. She was almost relieved when Vladislav got involved, changing her plate to something that looked far less spiced. "Ah, that's fine," she said. "I suppose I shouldn't make him too angry anyway. I will be sharing a bed with him, after all." The reminder made her stomach clench again, and made her wince slightly. "Thank you anyway, Prince Radu, I very much appreciate it." She took a piece of bread and nibbled on it, surprised to find the texture rougher than the bread she was accustomed to back home.

Radu shrugged, lounging onto his side and popping a piece of spiced meat into his mouth. He hummed happily at the taste, but his face soon fell at the mention of Integra sharing Alucard's bed. He whistled lowly, shaking his head in feigned sadness. "Oh dear, I had nearly forgotten… you're going to be sharing a bed with my brute of a brother. Truly, you have my sympathies—or condolences, even." He took another sip of his wine, keeping his lavender eyes on Integra's with fabricated seriousness. "He's not just a savage on the battlefield, my dear. He's used to getting what he wants, and he'll take it by any means necessary. I would—"

"Radu, child, please,” the Queen interjected coldly, an irritable quirk in her sharp brow; her massive dark wings flared once at her back, signaling her temper.

Radu's jaw snapped shut.

"We have told you once not to spread such lies about your brother, and We will not do so again. Do not cause trouble where there need not be any,” the Queen scolded, narrowing her pale blue eyes once before turning to Integra with her usual expression of peace. "My dear, please do not pay Radu any mind; Our son and your husband will ensure no harm comes to you. And if he is not a perfect gentleman, you will come immediately to Us. You are family now,” she told Integra seriously, touching her chin with a gentle finger.

At Radu's words, Integra's feeling of apprehension  had changed to one of absolute horror, her hand clenching the bread so tightly that it began to fall apart. He was only confirming her worst fears, after all. When the Queen spoke, it pacified Integra's nerves a bit, but she still had great doubts. The Queen seemed to dote on her children, probably assuming the best of them. She doubted that Vladislav would be so bold as to let his mother know how he behaved with women. "Thank you," she said, trying her best to smile at the Queen. She knew she would be doing no such thing, despite how much she would want to.

The Queen inclined her head in a gentle nod and smiled. "You are very welcome. We are here for your guidance; you only need to ask." She replied reassuringly, giving Radu one last warning look before turning to the King to discuss the situation.

Alucard glanced up at his mother's interjection; no doubt Radu had said something stupid, ruffling Integra's delicate Britannian sensibilities. He supposed he should at least attempt to be civil, or his mother would say the same to him. He huffed, rolled his eyes, and poured Integra a glass of wine. "For you," He told her in heavily accented Breton, setting her glass down without meeting her gaze.

At the sound of his voice, Integra turned and looked down at the glass of wine in surprise. "Oh," she said, before trying out her limited Wallachian. "Thank you." Hers was also heavily accented—her tone too gentle for the language.

Alucard raised his eyebrows slightly at Integra's thanks; he hadn't expected a reaction at all, much less one in Wallachian. He couldn't help quirking a small smile of appreciation back. "Welcome." He replied in stilted Breton, the gentle language sounding odd on his tongue. _At least the Britannians have manners, if nothing else,_ he thought.

Uncomfortable with the moment, Integra turned back to Radu. ”Ah, did I say that right?" she said, with a purposely sheepish laugh. Unfortunately, she did not notice Alucard's smile, nor hear his thanks. She was too interested in what Radu had to say, totally oblivious to anything sinister about him.

Alucard’s smile faded; it would only be trouble later if she was falling for the youngest Tepes Prince.

Radu smiled encouragingly at Integra’s words, giving a pleased clap of his hands. "Excellent, my dear; your Britannian accent brings a sweetness to Wallachian that I have never heard before. Beautiful, simply beautiful!" he complimented, fluttering his wings flirtatiously.

"Thank you," she said in reply to his compliments, a pleased flush painting her cheeks as she eyed his wings in repressed interest. 

It was taking all of Radu’s efforts not to look smug.  _ She wants me _ . ”How much Wallachian do you know, pray tell?”

Integra waved a dismissive hand. ”Oh, not so much, I'm afraid. I know ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’, small pleasantries, how to count to ten. I'll have to learn quite a bit more now, obviously."

"Well then," Radu said, turning to grin once more at his irritated brother before turning back to his sister-in-law. "I'd be happy to give you a few lessons." 

 

* * *

 

The rest of the feast proceeded pleasantly enough, with Radu and Integra chatting away the evening; the dinner concluded with a toast to the new Princess in their midst, which the Wallachian nobility and servants were hardly pleased about but kept their dissent to themselves for fear of brutal punishment by the King and Queen.

Though he was sated with good food and wine, Alucard couldn't help the revulsion in his stomach that reminded him he would be sleeping side-by-side with a Britannian—that his wife was a Britannian, the species whose blood he had drank for a decade, who he hated even more than the pious Vaticanos. He bid his family and companions good night before heading up the stairs with his new bride.

Integra wanted nothing more than to stay at the feast with Radu, but as soon as the dinner concluded she knew where she had to go: to bed with her new husband. As they walked through the hall and upstairs, the knot in her stomach clenched even tighter, and she felt as if she might be sick, even from the mild food she had eaten that night. She couldn't believe that she was going to have to bed a monster.

When Alucard shut the door behind them with an irritable sigh, his wings twitching with discomfort upon having the enemy directly in his sleeping quarters—a private, sacred place that he only shared with dear lovers or friends—Integra broke into a cold sweat.

He lit the bedside candles, which released a soothing scent of lavender and saffron, and pulled off his shirt, determinedly not facing Integra as he undressed for bed.

Integra gasped, turning around. The nerve of him, changing right in front of her! She supposed this meant it was her turn to change as well, but without Seras to aid her...

She took a deep breath and began taking off her dress on her own, first shrugging off the shawl then sliding the dress off of her wings and leaving her in her slip. Now all that there was left to do was unbind her wings—something she had never done on her own before. She began to struggle with the task, craning her arms back and shuffling her wings about.

Alucard had already stripped down to his smallclothes and pulled on a worn, soft tunic in the time Integra had taken off her shawl. He had no desire to be completely naked in front of this creature—who knew what noise she would make out of prudish shock, much less what revenge she might try to take in his sleep. He winced at the thought, fluttering his wings anxiously. However, he blinked when he heard the shuffling of wings other than his own and turned to see Integra struggling with the bindings on her wings.

His heart twinged almost painfully at the sight; they were so closely bound, so tightly that they barely had room to move—worse, it seemed like Integra couldn't take the bindings off herself. "How could you people do this to yourself?" he mumbled aloud, eyebrows furrowed with what he felt was righteous anger. It was such an inhumane practice he couldn't wrap his head around it; they probably couldn't even fly.

"Integra," he called, stepping around to her side, folding his wings in so as to appear as nonthreatening as possible

Integra was so busy fussing with her wings that she did not notice Vladislav turning to watch her struggle in her underwear; nor did she notice when he spoke aloud or walked towards her. She only noticed his presence when he called her name, and when he did so he was much closer than she thought he was. She made a strangled noise of shock, whirling around and trying to cover as much of her body as she could with her arms. _Oh god, it's starting, he's going to_... her mind whirled in panic.

Alucard held his breath at the look of unrestrained horror in Integra’s eyes. _Does she really think I'm that much of a monster? I suppose to her, I am._ He held up his hands in a gesture of nonviolence. It was pitiable how frightened she was of him, shivering like a sickly child and covering herself as if he was going to run his hands all over her—like he would want to. "Pathetic." He mumbled with a short shake of his head. Britannians really were the lowest of the low. Finally, he gestured between his wings and hers. He searched his limited knowledge of Breton and finally came up with; "Help you."

Integra’s sharp mind realized what Vladislav was suggesting, even through her fear. He was trying to ask her if he could help her unbind her wings—or at least, that was what he wanted her to think. "No," she said quickly, shaking her head, but then she stopped. She realized that without his help, she was not going to be able to unbind them, and she couldn't exactly leave the room in this condition. It wasn't technically out of his place to touch her wings; he was her husband, after all. If he was going to kill her or worse, it might as well start now.

"Yes..." she said finally in Wallachian, nodding her head before slowly turning around. "...Thank you..." She tensed up, squeezing her eyes shut in preparation for the worst.

"Welcome," Alucard replied flatly before moving to her back, examining the bindings. They seemed complex; it would take time to undo them, as loath as he was to admit it. As he was dealing with a frightened animal, he slowly began to undo the wrappings around her wings, taking care not to ruffle the feathers much or brush frequently against any particularly sensitive areas.

Integra flinched wildly at the first touch of his fingers on her bindings, but as he continued to work around her wings, she began to relax slightly. Perhaps he was really only planning to help her out. Her wings couldn't relax, though; they shivered and quaked, embarrassing her as she tried to keep them still as he continued to work.

Alucard frowned at the state of Integra’s wings; they were so restless that it was difficult to safely unwrap them. "I'm not going to eat you, despite whatever my brother has told you. I'm sure he gave his piece, "he grumbled to himself in Wallachian. Then: “Calm,” he told her in Breton, stroking his palm once down near the inside of one wing and scratching the thin muscle there—it was a natural soothing technique, used by parents to calm fussy children and at funerals to comfort the grieving.

At first Integra didn't know what was happening, it was so unexpected; all she knew was that whatever sensation hit her back, it was too much for her delicate nerves, and not in a bad way. She let out a desperate moan before she could realize what she was doing, before clapping a hand to her mouth and closing her eyes in embarrassment. _God... that felt so good... is that how it always feels when... Oh god, he touched my wings…_

Alucard's eyebrows shot up in surprise, his own wings puffing up with arousal. She was reacting as if he had touched the base or the secondary coverts of her wings, which he was certain he had avoided entirely for this very reason. It was almost as if no one had ever touched her wings for more than it took to bind them. _The Britannians aren't that prudish, are they? Surely she's had a lover who groomed her, at least?_

Clearing his throat and willing his wings to calm, he continued his work, gently and meticulously unbinding her wings. They were damn soft, almost downy in his fingers—he couldn't resist running his palm over the outer feathers with a satisfied hum. The incredible quality and beauty of her wings spoke to the fact that she had never known hardship or battle, but even knowing that, Alucard found himself admiring them once the last of the bindings fell. He even began brushing a few feathers back into place—but immediately felt revolted for beginning to subconsciously engage in a bonding ritual.

If Integra could focus at that moment, she would have been fuming. Instead of having the decency to take his hands off of her wings and apologize, the bastard continued to touch her! He kept running his hands through them, even as he finished unbinding which allowed them to spring apart in a search for freedom. "Ah, ah, ah," she panted with each touch. A warmth was growing inside of her, causing her to shake and crave some sort of stimulation furthering the tingling of her wings. “V-Vladislav, enough, I-“

"Done," Alucard told her gruffly, releasing her wings and turning away, his face flushing with anger and embarrassment. He quickly walked back towards the bed in an attempt to forget what had just happened; why had she been making those _sounds_?

"Th-thank you," Integra said weakly. The pins in her hair were bothering her; she pulled them out and sighed in relief as her hair fell to the top of her hips, shimmering and feeling like a shield of sorts. The ache in her lower body was still there. Unbeknownst to her, her wings were now quite puffed up, and signaling that she was incredibly open for more touch and a full courtship.

Alucard turned to tell Integra to hurry up with whatever else she had to do, but when he saw her all coherent thought fled from him. His new bride had let her hair down—impossibly long, gorgeous, molten gold hair—with her downy silver-white wings spread and puffed, ready for courtship in almost a picturesque replication of Hausos, one of the most revered and powerful deities in his religion.

Integra heard an intake of breath behind her, and turned her head to find Vladislav... _staring_ at her. No one had ever given her a look like that in her life; it was so reverent and amorous that it made her wings shudder, even as they continued to mirror his in the urge to be courted.

The sight was one of the most gorgeous and erotic things Alucard had ever seen in his life, prompting his own wings to rise in an arc to reply favorably to the gesture of courtship Integra offered. Heat was pooling low in his stomach, impossible to ignore when he looked upon the Britannian before him. "Hausos," he whispered reverently, his body carrying him forward to touch a lock of her hair. "The goddess."  
  
When a Wallachian came of age, tradition dictated that they chose a deity whose domain resonated with them to guide their path in life and worship above all others in exchange for the god’s blessing. There was an entire pantheon of gods to chose from, but Alucard had eyes for no other but the Goddess of dawning war, victory, and loyalty.  
  
And from her silvery-white wings to her dark skin and long blonde hair, Integra was the very image of Hausos herself.  
  
He gently brushed his fingers near the base of her wing—not quite touching the base itself, but dangerously close.

The whole situation was spiraling far out of control, very quickly. Integra was too stunned to do anything but keep still, which turned out to be a bad idea as it gave him the ability to do something devastating to her wing. She cried out once more, her knees buckling under the stimulus. She was aching.

Alucard tracked Integra's gaze as her body stood stock-still while her wings, puffed out, flared up in an arc to match his—she had accepted his compliment, was turned on, asking for more. She cried out and the sound was so sweet that he wanted to capture it with his lips; his fingers dug lightly into her feathers, grazing the soft muscle beneath. The entire situation being wrong was far from his lust-clouded mind; her sheer beauty had entranced him past his political and cultural prejudice. When her knees buckled, he instinctively swept in to catch her, his arms closing around her waist in a sort of embrace.

"Stop... touching..." Integra babbled in Breton. His fingers were rendering her unable to do anything except for fall into his arms, flushed and feeling very moist in a very personal area. God, he was so tall and broad; she felt as if she were in the embrace of a tree trunk. A soft tree trunk, with muscle in all the right places. What the hell was he _doing_?

The physical weight and heat of her body in Alucard’s arms seemed to break him out of his trance, and he nearly recoiled with anger at himself for falling for the Britannian's wiles. _What the hell am I doing?! She can't be Hausos because she's a goddamn boundback! Get a hold of yourself!_ He grit his teeth, fighting the urge to shove her away. Finally he decided to lift her up easily into his arms, pressing his fingers into the torturous warmth of her skin for a moment longer.

Integra was also stunned out of her own reverie and she squawked in protest when he picked her up, shivering at the way his cold hands felt on her skin.

Alucard carried her to the bed and set her down with little preamble, and Integra looked up at in him in outrage at the way he placed her on the side of the bed. _As if I were his doll… damn him!_

Without another word, Alucard blew out the candle, dropping the room into darkness, and crawled under the covers on the very edge of the massive bed. His mind was racing with fury and arousal as he lay in the dark. _How dare she try to seduce me to bend me to her will? Those snakish boundbacks probably sent her here knowing she resembled Hausos, thinking she could weaken me. Typical cowardly blueblood behavior. You're a fool, Alucard Tepes,_ he thought to himself, gritting his teeth with self-loathing.

Integra blinked in the dark, completely shaken and wondering what the hell just happened. As she tried to process everything, his plan suddenly came to her. He was trying to stir her up, to disturb her until she was weak and willing prey for him. For all she knew, he could have just been using some ancient Wallachian magic on her. Well if he thought he could defeat Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, he was wrong. Dead wrong. She huffed out an angry breath, not daring to go under the covers as she lay down as well, shivering violently in the intensely chilled air—she was, after all, only in her slip and underwear. She would stay up and stew all night if it meant not letting him catch her unawares. The cold would keep her up.

Even seeing Integra shiver pitiably stirred nothing more but disgust in Alucard, and he pulled a heavy fur blanket over himself to block out the cold. If she wanted to freeze to death, that was her prerogative. Tucking his wings close to his body, he let thoughts of slaughtering Britannians in revenge to carry him off to a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, three things:
> 
> \- hope you enjoyed the beginning of our smut ;) much much more is to come!
> 
> \- yes, we introduced some OCs! Unfortunately, we never know about Alucard's family in canon, so we created them ourselves. Hope you like! PLEASE let us know what you think about them; we worked so hard. You'll definitely learn more about them as time goes on. 
> 
> \- so, Integra had a panic attack. Although Gwen and I adore her Iron Lady demeanor, we both agree that we wanted to show her being more vulnerable; and I do headcanon that her tense, tough exterior would call for occasional breakdowns, especially under duress. And there's definitely going to be some duress.
> 
> Thank you so much once again for reading :) 
> 
> Please leave comments!!!!!!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now he was going to lose his wife for the second time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for the day's delay; Gwen was traveling and therefore unable to help me add in the extra little bits necessary for the chapter.

The days went by, and Alucard felt nothing but an increased feeling of shame toward his new wife. The castle's inhabitants grew more openly hostile toward the Britannian Princess, but Alucard did not notice; he was too wrapped up in the worry that his wife was a spy for the Britannian forces and stayed reluctantly close to Integra's side—not to protect her, but to make certain his suspicions were correct. He had ordered Pip to do the same to Seras, but whenever he passed by them, Pip didn't seem to be taking his job very seriously.

Those same days had been absolute hell for Integra. After her barbarian husband had so cruelly toyed with her that night, he hadn't shown even the slightest friendly gesture towards her; in fact, he was a blank wall that followed her wherever she went, leaving her no choice but to stay alert every day and all day. She even limited spending her time with Seras, worrying that her attendant would suffer from the same cruel treatment that she was.

Because it wasn't just Vladislav who treated her cruelly. At least he all but ignored her. At least in his presence, she was safe. During the brief times that he left her side, she was tripped, spit on, checked against walls. Every ounce of strength in her body demanded she fight back, but she was still a dignitary sent by her Queen—God, it felt like years since she had seen her grandmother—and thus it was her duty not to retaliate. She jumped at shadows, though, and remained awake throughout each cold night. Heavy bags formed under her eyes, and she lost weight from stress and a loss of appetite.

Her only moments of reprieve were when Radu took time out of his busy schedule to sit and talk with her. Through her exhaustion, he seemed like an angel to her.

"Thank God," she sighed, as she walked beside Radu in the direction of the library. She had been tailed by her repulsive new husband for the past five hours straight that morning until the fairer Tepes brother managed to coax his brother to let her go for a time. "I think I will go mad if I have to spend a moment longer with him."

Radu gave a sympathetic frown and touched Integra's back, his cool hand trailing to her waist. "Oh, my dear, I simply couldn't stand by and let you be hounded by that raggedy old thing,” he cooed.

Whenever Radu touched her, Integra felt shivers up and down her spine. _Is this what it's like to be attracted to someone?_

She sighed. "I can't thank you enough, honestly.”

Radu then smirked conspiratorially, leaning in so his breath brushed her cheek. "Doesn't he look like a vulture, hovering around you like that? Or a hyena waiting for a carcass to snatch."

“That's exactly what he looks like,” Integra said with a nod. “It makes me so uncomfortable, Prince Radu; I can't stand it. I can't believe I'm married to such a... a predator.”

Radu's smirk grew into a dimpled grin and he lightly dug his pointed nails into her hip teasingly, making her breath stutter. His wing curved around her shoulder, shielding her from any outsiders listening in. "No need for thanks. I understand completely; no one should have to suffer his company, least of all in such large doses." He brushed her throat with his wing in a gentle, flirtatious movement, and she delighted in his touch. "It is truly a shame that he preys on you so often, but, ah...could we truly blame him? You're a dove among crows." He complimented in a smooth purr, eyelids lowering a fraction. "My little dove."

Integra flushed in pleasure, averting her gaze in modesty. "You're too kind... I wish you wouldn't put yourself down, Prince Radu. You stand out amongst Wallachians, as well. If I didn't know any better, I'd call you Britannian."

Radu shook his head, drumming his fingers lightly on her hip as they walked. "I speak only the truth, your highness. Though I thank you for the compliment." He stood up a little straighter, drawing in his wings with a sigh. "I know I've said such a thing so many times before, but I wish I had been born a Britannian… and, regrettably, I will never have the chance to shape this wild nation to resemble such civility." He looked wistfully out a window as they passed, a crease in his handsome brow. "I have so many plans. To restrict funds to the army and redirect them to charity, to outlaw impaling as a punishment…” He sighed again. “I know that together, if things were different… we could make this kingdom something amazing."

Integra listened to his words with quiet awe, before sighing longingly at his last statement. "Oh, Your Highness... that would be wonderful."

She thought about it for the rest of their walk, all the way to the library. It would make her grandmother and Britannia happy, and she really did think that he was the best thing for Wallachia. His plans sounded like exactly what such a harsh place needed. As they reached the entrance to the library, she stopped. Before her inhibitions could hold her back, she reached up to put a hand on his cheek, making his eyebrows raise in faint surprise.. "I wish things were different. That you and I... no," she said quickly, pulling her hand back and looking around for fear that someone had heard, forgetting the fact that few people spoke Breton there. "I shouldn't even imagine.”

Radu quickly moved to catch her hand. "It never hurts to dream, my dove," he whispered, still in Breton. He squeezed her hand and brought it to his lips for a delicate kiss. "Perhaps someday you'll be mine...wouldn't it be wonderful? My friends as our court, we could be married in a Britannian church..." He mused aloud, meeting her eyes again. "My brother is a lucky man, though he doesn't know it."

Integra flushed again, a delicate dark blue. His lips were cold and smooth, like soft sea glass. "I'd... I'd like that," she confessed softly. "I'd like that very much." It was difficult to meet his lavender gaze, so intense as it was. "Thank you. I-" She had to cut herself off with an almost violent yawn, hand over her mouth, eyes fluttering shut for a moment before snapping back open. "I'm sorry!" she said, mortified to have behaved such a way in front of Radu. "I... I haven't slept in two days... I have to keep watch at night, just in case he.... I don't know. I'm sorry; that was dreadfully uncouth."

But Radu was not offended; in fact his expression softened and he chuckled, touching Integra's back. "Oh, darling! You poor little thing...you look cute enough to eat, but weak enough to drop!"

Integra's body posture relaxed, relieved that Radu wasn't disgusted by her fatigue. "Thank you, I... I feel like I could drop, yes." He made her feel so delicate and lovely, even as wretched as she was right now. 

Radu shook his head. "I cannot stand idly by and watch you suffer by his hand. No, no—come with me." A wink. "I have an idea."

She blinked, though she moved to follow him. "What is it?"

Radu rubbed along Integra's back, leading her along. His shimmering purple feathers brushed her shoulder, encircling her closer to his side. "I have the perfect spot," he whispered to her with a wink. "There's an extra linen room where I like to nap sometimes in secret,” he said, grinning. "The servants are discreet and don't come by often. I could watch over you for an hour or two… if you'd feel comfortable enough with me?"

"Oh," Integra breathed, her eyes lighting up. The thought of having a nap at that moment meant everything to her. "Oh, Ra- Your Highness, I would love that." She nodded assuredly at his words. "Of course I'm comfortable enough with you, of course. Thank you, thank you so much." Her wings struggled to give a pleased flap behind her bindings, longing to reciprocate the purple feathers' attentions.

Radu's eyes flickered to the faint movement under Integra's cloak and his smile grew, a hint of his fangs peeking out from behind red lips. "I'm overjoyed to hear it, my dove. You'll find the linens most comfortable, Im sure. You can even let your wings out, if you… feel comfortable enough."

Integra's eyes widened. "I... out? Well." She cleared her throat, flustered by such a thought. "I suppose... I suppose it would be difficult to take my rest with them bound; Britannians don't normally sleep with our bindings on. I... forgive me for my fluster." She took a breath and smiled at him as they continued to walk. "I trust you."

Radu looked eagerly to hear Integra's response before breaking into a handsome grin. "Marvelous! You needn't worry, my dear. You're perfectly safe with me,” he assured her with a stroke down her back, and his smile softened. "I appreciate your trust, your highness. Please… call me Radu."

"Really?" Integra said incredulously; in Britannia, the right to call a noble or royal by their first name alone was a privilege for close friends, romantic partners, or family. "Very well, then. Thank you, Radu," she said with a slightly bigger smile. "You may call me Integra, if you wish.”

Radu nodded, still grinning. "Really. We are friends, are we not? It's only right that you call me by my given name." In Wallachia, the right to call royalty by their first name was even more unheard of; it was reserved only for close family and lovers. His hand stroked lower before circling back up to her hip. His grin lessened into a charming smile and he squeezed her hipbone lightly. "I'm honored, Integra. Your name is too lovely not to speak aloud...thank you." 

"Friends, yes," Integra said, humming and resisting the urge to close her eyes in bliss as he caressed her. "You're too kind."

After a little more walking, they reached the linen room and he opened it with a bow. "After you."

Integra chuckled, before entering the linen closet. It smelled like clean powder and Radu, and it had so much linen in it that the shelves weren't enough; a good deal oflinen was placed in the floor, looking very soft and welcoming. She sighed, collapsing down onto it. "This is so nice..."

Radu straightened after Integra went into the linen room and shut the door firmly behind them. With a flick of his wrist, he locked the door and rested back against it to admire Integra's relaxed form among the sheets. He chuckled, then advanced to sit alongside her. "It is, isn't it? Just the two of us alone together… at last." He grinned at her, flaring his wing over her. "Rest, now, Integra. I'll be right here."

"That is nice," Integra agreed in relief. She took a deep breath. "I can..." She craned her arms to start unbinding her wings, and he sat up a little in anticipation, his lavender eyes eager to see what she had been hiding away under all those layers. She loosened the ties before taking the cloth off and placing it down on the mattress. Her wings quivered as they were exposed in front of a man for the second time since her early childhood. She flushed deeply—a deep, delicate blue—and looked away.

Radu’s polite smile slowly gave way to a grin of great interest, and he licked his lips. "They're lovely, your wings," He murmured, leaning in before he drew his hand away at the last moment. "I apologize for gawking… but you look positively, hm, how do you say… angelic?"

Integra looked up just as he pulled his hand away. "Thank you," she said softly, feeling her heart squeeze pleasingly at the way he complimented her. "I... it's fine. You can look." _And he isn't touching them, like some barbarians I know..._

Radu nodded gratefully at Integra, his smile widening. "Thank you. Though it's practically a crime to keep such beautiful wings hidden, you know." He winked, then shifted a little closer on the sheets. "Of course I respect your decision to keep them covered, but..." His eyes flickered down to her lips, and he licked his own again. "Their beauty, their grace… nearly rivals your own. But not quite."

Integra's face was still aflame as she leaned closer to him, eyes wide with awe at his kindness and charm. She was so exhausted that this felt like some sort of lovely dream. "Coming from someone like you, with wings like yours, that means so much to me," she said, drawn to look at his lips in return when he licked them.

Radu huffed out a chuckle, their faces close enough for his cool breath to brush her face. "Such high praise; I'm flattered. Well, we two beautiful people should stick together, no?" He mused, his feathers ruffling with anticipation as he drew closer. His heavy eyelashes lowered, shading his high cheekbones. "My darling Integra… may I kiss you? My brother needn't know..."

Integra inhaled a shuddering breath, feeling her own wings ruffle as well. "Kiss?" she echoed, her eyes widening slightly. "I..." God, she wanted to, more than anything. Her lips were aching for it. She knew that Radu wouldn't tell... "Yes," she said breathlessly. "Yes, you may."

Radu's lips quirked upward in a short smirk and his lavender eyes flashed with desire. "I'll savor this," he whispered before closing the distance between them with a soft kiss; his lips were plush and cold, making shivers travel up and down Integra’s spine again. It was chaste but meaningful, and he drew away with a heated look in his eyes. "Rest now, my dove, knowing that you're in my care."

Integra sighed as he pulled away, feeling eager for more, but also perfectly ready to take a long rest. "Thank you," she murmured as she lay down, her wings curling around her. She was asleep in a manner of minutes, her face serene and breath even.

"Good girl," Radu whispered. He watched her for a long while before laying himself down a respectable distance away from her, his eyes trained on the strip of her throat visible between her feathers. "Good, good little dove..."

 

* * *

 

Around a week after the wedding, Integra noticed that something was wrong at dinnertime. She was vaguely dizzy and nauseated, eating even less than she normally did. She panted for breath as she climbed the stairs with her silent husband, and collapsed onto the bed as soon as Seras left after unbinding her wings and helping her change.

That night she did pass out around an hour later, despite her best efforts. She woke up when Vladislav did and made an attempt to rise, but her muscles were weak and lifeless. She shivered violently, but felt overheated for the first time since Alucard touched her wings. She wanted to throw up, and had no desire to stand fear that the feeling would get worse. _Have I been poisoned? I wish... Seras... Radu... somebody, please help me. Oh God, I'm going to die._

Meanwhile, Alucard had returned from his morning exercises with the Wallachian troops and headed straight for the breakfast table, pleased that there was hardly anyone present aside from a couple nobles. He was in the middle of piling food onto his plate before he noticed that the seat across from him, where Integra always sat, was absent. That was odd; she usually woke up and was downstairs with Seras by this time.

Then Seras entered the room alone to sit with Pip, and Alucard shrugged to himself. _The princess is probably with Radu, getting her brains fucked out or talking about how disgusting Wallachians are—or both at the same time. Filthy traitors. If he wasn't my brother, I'd nail his hands to the ground. If she wasn't my wife... well. It hardly matters._ _Nothing to be done about it,_ he thought irritably to himself, pushing his eggs around on his plate. He had been studying Breton with Pip every spare hour he had in order to better understand if Integra and Radu were planning a coup, and could understand a decent amount more than he had before. He was, luckily, a quick study at languages.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Radu walking into the dining hall sleepily, hair mussed and eyes half-closed as if he had just woken up. That brought a small measure of alarm to Alucard; if Integra wasn't with Seras and she wasn't with Radu, where was she? He ignored Radu's half-asleep greeting and stood, striding out of the hall and up to his room to grab his sword. _I knew it. I knew it. She's finally off to contact her spies. I have to stop her, I—_

His paranoia was cut short when he threw open the door to find Integra, not plotting her revolt, but lying where he had left her this morning. _Has she always looked so sickly?_ he wondered to himself, shutting the door behind him. He may not have an inch of respect for the creature that was his wife, but she did always rise with the dawn and make some attempt at exercise; it was odd to see her sleeping in. Something felt wrong. "Integra," he called out in Breton, walking forward. "You awake?"

Integra craned her neck to look over at the door at the sound of it opening, and moaned when she saw who it was. _Ah, I see. He poisoned me and now he's going to watch me slowly die._ "Bastard..." she managed hoarsely in Breton, trying to prop herself up to glare at him—she would be damned if he watched her die like a sickly animal. But instead she just barely managed to lean over the edge of the mattress before losing the scarce amount of dinner she had taken in last night, before collapsing back onto the mattress with a groan. God, how humiliating. She couldn't even die with a trace of honor.

Alucard's eyebrows furrowed at Integra's weak insult—she had hardly been so bold to his face before—and took a step back as she vomited over the edge of the bed. She was extremely ill, there was no doubt about that; how had he not noticed before? _Because I don't care if she lives or dies. She's a Britannian,_ one side of his mind growled, but was quickly overridden by his more honorable half; _She's also my wife. She has wings. She's one of us now, isn't that what Mother said?_ He exhaled through his nose and went to her side, avoiding the pool of sick. He kneeled, wiped her mouth with his sleeve, and pressed a cool hand to her cheek to judge her temperature.

Vladislav's cool hand felt like a balm on her hot face; Integra whimpered at the sensation. She hoped that he was going to snap her neck and put her out of her misery, and was disappointed when he mumbled something under his breath and started trying to smother her in the hot furs. "No," she protested, weakly fighting against his efforts and repeating in Wallachian, "No, too hot, too..." She coughed violently, writhing away from his grasp. "Don't touch..." She managed to get away from his grasp, only to dive for the end of the bed again and heave, this time gagging up mostly blood and saliva.

"Integra," Alucard gasped out of sheer horror; how had he not noticed her health deteriorating? It must've been obvious, but he had been too blinded by prejudice to see it—and now he was going to lose his wife for the second time. He cursed under his breath and helped Integra back into bed. He pushed her hair from her face, shushing her quietly as he struggled to figure out what he could do. Oblivious to his dismay, Integra squirmed under his care, raising her arms as if to bat him away with the small amount of strength that she could muster.

Alucard was thinking quickly. She had said she was too hot—what could he do to cool her? He grabbed a cleaning pail from the bathroom and placed it at the side of the bed, then went to the window, pushing it open. He broke off the icicles on the sill that had formed from the chill of early morning dew and returned to Integra's side. The cold hurt his palms; he grabbed a hand towel hanging from the bedpost and wrapped one icicle inside before placing it on Integra's forehead. The other, smaller one he brushed against Integra's cheek, hoping she was conscious enough to take the hint and eat it. "You need a doctor," he told her uselessly in Wallachian, using his free hand to spread her wings on the bed to release some of the heat from her body.

As Alucard walked away, Integra experienced a rapid cool-down, until she was freezing and clutching herself in an effort to keep warm. So when Vladislav returned with the coldest thing she had ever felt she cried out, thrashing her head from side to side as he forcibly spread her wings. So she was right; this was torture, pure and simple. "Please!" she shouted, feeling tears leak out from the corners of her eyes. "Please, I... I die," she begged in broken Wallachian. "I die, please!"

Alucard swore again as Integra cried out at his attempt at doctoring, thrashing out of his grip as if she was being burned alive. He crushed the icicle in his grasp and threw the shards aside with a growl only to feel his heart seize with pity as she begged for death in broken Wallachian. He opened his mouth to offer some measure of comfort but was interrupted by an angry pounding on the door.

Seras had noted something was wrong when Prince Radu and Prince Vladislav were in the dining hall together; if they were there, then where was... She had noted Vladislav's sudden exit and took his example, making her excuses to Pip before slowly following him up the stairs. She knew that she had to be careful because she didn't want to start a political incident, but the moment she heard a pained shriek from Integra she sprinted towards the room, pounding on the door. "If you don't open this door, Vladislav, I'm breaking it open!" she shouted in Wallachian.

The pounding on the door made Integra's head pound with it, but she let out a relieved garbled version of Seras's name when she recognized the tone of her voice.

Snarling but grateful to hear the Britannian attendant, Alucard threw open the door and dragged her in by the shoulder.

"Don't you dare touch me!" snarled Seras, freeing herself from Vladislav's grip before sobering up at the sight of her lady writhing in agony on the bed, surrounded by puddles of sick and the stench of death. "Integra," she exhaled, tears coming to her eyes. "No, my lady..." She trailed off, quickly moving to sit on the bed and take Integra's hand.

Alucard watched the scene gravely. ”My wife, your lady, she's dying, she's very ill," he explained sharply in Wallachian, his voice a low, urgent rumble. "A bad fever, maybe Red Death, I can't tell. She needs a doctor immediately. Can you tend to her while I find one, yes or no?"

Seras remembered Pip mentioning offhand that Red Death was one of the most deadly ailments in Wallachia; it was thought to be brought on by lack of protection against the cold, but it was far worse than a simple flu. It began with nausea and dizziness, then worsened rapidly. A person who suffered from the Red Death would find that their blood quickly began leaving their body in any way it could; starting with the mouth and ending through the nose. The survival rate for those afflicted was low.

Tears streamed down Seras's cheeks. "Go," she said to Vladislav. "Quickly. If she dies, I'm holding you personally responsible."

Alucard gnashed his teeth at Seras's impertinence, but was too preoccupied to reply in kind. He nodded sharply, knowing time was of the essence with the Red Death; the coming hour would be crucial in deciding if Integra lived or died. "Alright. Stay with her." He ordered before sweeping out of the room, gliding down the stairs and running to the apothecary.

"Seras," moaned Integra suddenly, squeezing her attendant's hand. "I'm... so cold."

"I'm here, my lady," said Seras tearfully, moving to get Integra under the covers. "Let's get you bundled up." Even under all of the blankets, Integra still shivered violently.

"Doctor Trevelyan, to my chambers, now." Alucard barked as soon as he spotted the trustworthy doctor. "It's my wife. The Red Death."

Dr. Trevelyan was startled by Alucard's nervous state, but quickly recovered and gathered his things. "Has the bleeding begun?" he asked as he grabbed the medicines from the wall.

"In the vomit, not from the nose." Alucard answered as they headed for the bedroom.

The doctor nodded grimly, folding his pale grey wings against his bag as they climbed the stairs two at a time. "Then there is still time yet to save her.”

He went immediately to Integra's side when they entered the room, opening his case and drawing his tools out in a practiced hurry.

"Seras, it's the end for me," Integra was saying as they entered through harrowed breaths, her eyes glossed over and looking at nothing in particular. She seemed to not even notice the Doctor’s entrance. "I love you. Tell Radu... tell my grandmother... I've been poisoned..."

"It's not the end," snapped Seras. "Don't speak such nonsense. You haven't been poisoned; you've fallen ill."

"Ill?" said Integra faintly, the eyes rolling back in her head as she saw Captain Pip Bernadotte in front of her, shaking his head. _I give you about a week... at best,_ he was saying.

"My week is up," mumbled Integra with a humorless chuckle, before sobering up again as she saw yet another figure with wings looming over her, taking the place of Pip. "Please, I die," she moaned in Wallachian once more. Who was this, another torturer? But Seras said.... She shook her head, trying to focus on what was real.

"Hold this," Dr. Trevelyan told Seras, handing her a bottle of blue-black liquid. He checked Integra's vitals in a flurry of motion, looked at the puddle of bloody vomit on the ground, and drew a needle out of his case with a far darker expression. "We don't have long. Pray to Iaso for her strength." He muttered gravely, drawing a vial of deep red liquid into his needle and injected it into the crook of Integra's sweat-damp arm. To Seras, he said; "She will be delirious; you will need to convince her to drink from that bottle. All of it."

Integra cried out as her hand was grabbed and something pierced her arm, pumping in some sort of liquid, before squirming in panic.

"Shh, don't panic," said Seras, squeezing her other hand. "He's a doctor, Integra. He's healing you."

"A doctor?" Integra mumbled, squinting around blearily and relaxing somewhat. "Am I sick?"

Seras cursed, knowing that they didn't have time for this. "Integra!" she said loudly. "The Wallachians have poisoned you. Are you going to let them get away with it?"

"What?" snapped Integra as best she could, flashing into reality at that statement. "They'll pay for this." Her blue eyes hardened into pieces of chipped ice, the sudden clarity jarring.

"You need to get better first," said Seras, pleased at the change in her lady's demeanor. "Drink this."

Integra nodded. "Help me," she demanded, and with Seras's help she downed the drink in less than a minute, falling back onto the bed right after.

Alucard had been watching with bated breath, unsure if his wife could be saved, and sighed in relief when he saw her drink the elixir. He was impressed at the flash of clarity that had returned to her eyes and wondered how it had been provoked. “What did you tell her?” he asked Seras curiously.

“I told her that you were poisoning her," Seras said sheepishly. "It was the best way I knew of getting her to drink it.” She winced, expecting a rebuke or worse.

Alucard, however, was not angry. In fact, his wife’s vehemence brought a small smile to his face. "If it worked, I'm not complaining. Doctor?"

Trevelyan gave a short sigh, taking the bottle back from Seras and placing it in his bag. "All that can be done now is to wait; the medicine will either work its magic, or it will provoke the fever to rise and she will die,” he explained, adjusting his glasses. "If she survives the next fifteen minutes, you must make sure she drinks cool water and place a cold compress on her forehead and back. Iaso willing, if that works, she will still need constant supervision for a week. It's a deadly disease; I don't need to tell you that, Prince Vladislav."

Alucard nodded solemnly. "I'll do it." He turned to Integra's figure on the bed, eyebrows furrowed. "The responsibility of a Wallachian's safety lies with their spouse, and I've already failed in that respect."

Seras bristled bristled. "Are you kidding?" she snapped in Wallachian. "This would be the perfect opportunity for you to let her die!”

Alucard folded his arms with a frown, his wings flaring in offense at the implication he would go back on his word. "I'm not going to just let her die; the second she does, the truce between Wallachia and Britannia falls apart. As a general and a prince, I realize how devastating that would be to both our kingdoms—therefore, I will do my utmost to keep her alive and well." He paused, considering the stubborn Britannian before him. "If you don't trust my word, then you are welcome to tend to her with m—"

It took him a moment to realize that horrible screaming was coming from Integra.

She had been lying limply on the bed when she suddenly felt flames burst inside her; red-hot and burning her from the inside out. She began to scream, writhing in agony as she brought her hands to her stomach, trying to claw the heat out of her.

"Integra!" said Seras in shock, grabbing Integra’s hands. "Please, I know it hurts, but you have to stay focused! Tell me that this is what's supposed to be happening," she demanded of Trevelyan, glaring at Vladislav as if the entire situation was his fault.

Usually the reaction to the medicine was less intense—a Wallachian would groan pitiably and thrash, but to scream aloud must have meant that her Britannian biology was reacting far stronger to the medication. "Trevelyan?" Alucard asked the doctor worriedly, who was standing by with a hand to his chin.

"Fascinating. The heightened body temperature of the Britannian must be activating the medicine at a far faster rate." Trevelyan mused to himself before giving a decisive nod. "Yes, yes, this is supposed to happen. It's just acting far quicker than I expected; taking into account the quickened rate of reaction, we should see if she pulls through after this fit." He said with a sort of clinical fascination, reaching into his bag for a notepad.

Alucard growled and leaned forward to grab Integra's hand, squeezing it tightly. Unwilling to be so close to Vladislav, Seras backed off and folded her arms, watching the Wallachian Prince like a hawk.

"Come on, Integra. Fight. Show me wrong about Britannians. Fight!" he snarled in Breton, his tone rising with desperation.

"Fuck you!" Integra immediately screamed back in Wallachian, her eyes opening and cleared slightly in her rage as she switched back to Breton. "Fuck you, Vladislav! I wish... I wish you could fucking feel what I was feeling right now! When this is over I'm going to make you pay! Fuck!" She screamed, before her voice dissolved into a series of pained whimpers as she continued to writhe on the bed, squeezing Vladislav's hand as tightly as she could, digging her nails in until she drew blood. It was working, though; she was starting to feel aware of her surroundings again, and she felt the desire to stay alive if only for the sake of displaying her anger.

"Good!" Alucard snapped back, clutching Integra's hand back just as tightly. He bared his teeth in a fierce grin as he leaned over his ailing wife, wings flaring wide. He was speaking Wallachian now, but his tone was very clear. "Good—use that anger, channel it to fight, to survive! Show me that boundback, Britannian pride I've always heard of and never seen! Live and take your revenge on me, Princess Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing!" he snarled, his tone coloured with twisted excitement as the scent of his own blood hit his nose; the pain of Integra's nails in his skin only made him lean closer. "Don't you dare give up after giving me a taste of your strength."

"I'm going to rip you apart," growled Integra in response to his goading, her fangs coming out in a display of threat, glaring at him as he moved closer. "I'm going to castrate you, you bastard. I'm going to cut you open." She snarled, occasionally bucking up and sobbing as she rode over stabs of the most intense pain.

Alucard's grin widened as Integra snarled profanities and bared her fangs at him—that was what he had been looking for, that spark of anger, of courage in the face of death, knowing this was a person fighting for her life—that was what gained his respect. He wouldn't let this woman die now, knowing a fierce warrior could be made out of her yet.

Trevelyan watched the interaction with nervous awe. While usually goading a person on their deathbed to strong emotion would be horribly detrimental, it seemed to be the opposite for Integra; her anger was clearing her senses, making her more resistant to the throes of death. "If she's lucid, it's working..." He told Seras hopefully.

"Umm," said Seras, looking at Dr. Trevelyan sheepishly. "...I'm glad it's working. Prince Vladislav... do you want me to translate what she's...."

Alucard shook his head at Seras's request, never breaking eye contact with his wife. "No, I can understand her meaning just fine," He replied, readjusting his grip on Integra's hand; he pressed his cool palm to her cheek, keeping her head steady. "Keep fight, Integra,” he encouraged in Breton

"Fuck you; don't tell me what to do," demanded Integra, pressing her cheek into Alucard's palm in the search for something cool to tamper the fire inside of her, even as she continued to claw him. Even as she did that, it started to fade, reaching a level where she finally was able to sag onto the bed. Her body relaxed itself, her eyelids fluttering. "Gonna fuck you up," she murmured in Wallachian, sounding a bit loopy.

Alucard grinned with satisfaction, smoothing his thumb against her sweaty cheek when Integra slumped back into the sheets. "I look forward to it, Integra." He murmured.

Dr. Trevelyan sighed in relief. “It seems we were just in time."

Seras bit her lip; Integra had gone through a lot of emotions in the past ten minutes. "Is she ok?" she asked Trevelyan. "She seems kind of out of it..."

"'mmm fine," murmured Integra. “’s ok, Seras…” Her chest was still heaving, even as she leaned into Alucard's palm and drifted off into a semi-peaceful sleep, her body needing time to recover from such a dangerous ordeal.

Alucard stroked her cheek once more, keeping his hand there, and sat on the edge of the bed. "She'll live,” he said, smiling to himself with the revelation that he had married a person of great merit; one capable of conquering the Red Death.

Trevelyan was slowly packing his things. "There's nothing more I can do for her now. I'll have one of my assistants come by daily to give her medicine in a couple days. She needs time to process this dose,” he said, looking warily between the Princess and Prince. "She'll be a bit out of sorts for a while yet, with mild hallucinations if her fever rises again; it's crucial she stays cool and well-hydrated.”

Alucard nodded.  "Seras, wet two towels in the bathroom with cool water.”

"Right," Seras said with a nod, running to the bathroom and grabbing the towels, wetting them before coming out and holding them up. "Here they are." She looked at Trevelyan determinedly. "I'll be here too," she said. "I'll make sure she's alright."

 

* * *

 

 

Three days later, Integra's health hadn't declined as Dr. Trevelyan had predicted—but it hadn't improved, either. Alucard and Seras had remained at her side through day and night, taking turns getting sparse rest and food to keep up their own health as they tended to her. Even with the addition of a nurse to give daily doses of powerful medication, Integra remained bedridden and listless, to the worry of her attendant and husband.

On the fourth day, Alucard was becoming frustrated at the lack of change in Integra's condition—though not at Integra herself, as he had seen firsthand how she struggled through coughing fits and burning fever without backing down. He woke up with the intention to speak with Trevelyan later that day, to ask if there was nothing else that could be done to cure her; perhaps they could send for a Britannian doctor, though the idea of another Britannian in the castle was nothing short of repellent to the prince.

He looked about the bedroom. Seras was sound asleep in a chair in the corner of the room, so it was up to him to grab breakfast for Integra. A glance to the clock told him the nurse would be by presently. He sat up slowly, untangling himself from Integra's warm body; he had been acting as a cooling presence during the long nights when Integra's fever tended to spike. It was only practical, he reasoned to himself and Seras. "Integra," He whispered, wiping her forehead clean of sweat, "I'm going downstairs to get breakfast for you. What do you think you can hold down?”

Integra opened her eyes and groaned, immediately feeling the rush of nausea and pain. All the coughing and retching had left her throat incredibly hoarse, and her mind was still very foggy. She couldn't keep track of time; all she knew were the moments of blissful unconsciousness bookended by nausea and pain. She was dimly aware of the fact that Vladislav was keeping her cool at night with his body, but was far too sick to even care about the ramifications of that. Sometimes she wondered if she should simply give up and die, but those moments were few and far between. She was determined to survive. "Water," she said hoarsely. "Bread."

Alucard nodded in understanding at her request and smoothed back her hair, quickly retying the majority of it into a loose braid, away from her face. "Alright. I'll refill the pitcher and get you some bread. Rest now,” he told her.

There was a knock at the door, which Alucard answered, not wanting to wake up Seras.

It was the nurse, Tilda. ”I've come to give the Princess her medicine," she said, smiling widely at her Prince.

Alucard’s returning smile to the nurse was tired, hardly matching her cheery mood. "Oh. Thank you." He stepped around her in the doorway, wings tucked at his back with residual tension.

Yawning as he headed down the hallway, Alucard's weary mind sorted through the possibilities as to why Integra's health was not improving—Trevelyan had done some research and reported to the prince that like Wallachians, Britannians who had survived the Red Death's bleeding stage made steady and notable improvement within a day. And the two days after Integra had received the treatment, it seemed she had been getting better. Her symptoms had lessened to deep fatigue and a persistent cough, but her health turned for the worse again on the third day. _It doesn't make sense,_ Alucard thought irritably to himself, descending the stairs on foot as he was too tired to glide. _She even started receiving regular medication on the third night, so why would she get worse?_

Tilda frowned as soon as Prince Vladislav left the room, shaking her head at how exhausted her beloved prince looked. _That boundback bitch is running him ragged. She's sucking the life out of him_. Thankfully, that wouldn't be a problem for much longer. She looked over at the other Brittannian, making sure that Seras Victoria was asleep—every Wallachian had learned not to cross her, ever since she had torn off the hand of a particularly embittered footsoldier. Luckily for her, Seras was asleep. She chuckled to herself, pulling out the vial of ‘medicine' she had brought with her. "Time for your medicine, my lady," she cooed.

"Hmmm?" groaned Integra, opening her eyes slightly. "Thank you," she said in Wallachian, propping herself up in preparation to receive the medication.

Tilda shuddered slightly with anger at the way the boundback's lips butchered her language. "Yes, prepare yourself," she said, un-stoppering the vial and stepping closer, gently gripping the princess's face with one hand and bringing the bottle forward with the other.

_"...fucking boundback...hear about what they said..."_

Alucard only caught the end of the servants' conversation as they passed, but he was struck with a sudden realization that he had been far from the only Wallachian who hated Britannians in the castle. Every single person in the building had a grudge against Britannia for some reason or another; they had been born and raised in war to hate their ages-long enemy. _Including the nurse_ , he thought out of sheer paranoia, halting in his tracks. He remembered Integra's fear of being poisoned and felt his blood run like ice in his veins. "Shit!" He snarled, turning to run back up the stairs.

He arrived just in time. ”Halt," he barked from the doorway, slamming it shut behind him. He crossed the room in three strides and grabbed the nurse's wrist in an iron grip, wrenching it back and away from Integra.

As soon as she heard her prince's voice, Tilda froze. She turned and yelped as her wrist was grabbed, shivering at Vladislav's display of dominance. Unable to keep herself upright, Integra fell back on the bed. Her eyes were wide and glossy as she watched the two of them.

”What's in the vial, Tilda." Alucard asked in a low growl, jerking the hand holding the vial toward him. His wings were flared to their full span, each feather spread wide in an aggressive arc as he glowered down at the nurse. "Answer carefully and truthfully and your sentence will not be quite so painful."

Tilda quaked where she stood. ”I.... it's... it's foxglove, Your Highness," she said shakily. "I'm ridding you of your boundback burden."

Alucard gave a furious snarl at Tilda's response, baring his sizable fangs in a fit of rage. He shook her. "Do you have any idea what you could've done, you idiot?! You could've plunged us straight into another two hundred years of war! You didn't even have the courage to kill her with a weapon like a true Wallachian! No, instead you chose to be a coward, killing her with this!" He hissed, ripping the vial out of the nurse's hand. He threw it to the floor with a crash, heedless of losing evidence—it didn't matter in the slightest when it came to convictions made by Wallachian royal family members. His fingers closed tighter around her wrist to the point where her bones creaked under his grasp, making Tilda whimper in pain. "A burden? My wife, a burden?! How dare you even suggest a member of the royal family was—I'll have your eyes for this, you traitorous weasel!” He turned suddenly, dragging her to the door and throwing it open. "Pip!! Get your ass over here!!" He bellowed.

"Please, Your Highness," Tilda begged. "That's why I chose to poison her! I wanted to make it look like an accident... the boundbacks would assume that she died of natural causes! I thought you knew! You allowed us to hurt her and mock her for so long... I thought you wanted us to torture her until she died!"

Alucard's heavy eyebrows rose a fraction in surprise as Tilda explained herself—was she telling the truth? Had he really been so blinded by his own prejudice that he hadn't noticed Integra being mistreated under his protection?— but his expression quickly darkened again to cover any sign that he had faltered and he gave her wrist a malicious squeeze. "You thought wrong," He replied, his voice deadly calm, "and now you will pay for your ignorance. There is no place for traitors to the royal family in Wallachia; it seems I will have to do some house cleaning."

Pip stumbled into the room before righting himself, breathing hard, and standing at attention; his wings ruffled distractedly at his back. "You called for me, sir?" He asked, eyeing the scene with worry. Alucard looked downright furious.

"Yes," Alucard grunted, yanking Tilda forward with a jerk of his arm, glaring daggers. "take this coward to the cells, then call the castle to a meeting. I'll be down to speak further with this one presently."

Nodding obediently, Pip took Tilda by the arm in a firm grip. "Yes, milord." He turned to the nurse, his expression impossible to read. "Come with me, please, nice and easy."

"Please, no, Your Highness," begged Tilda, her mouse-grey wings shuddering as tears began trailing down her cheeks, not resisting as she was taken out of the room and led down towards the cells.

Alucard snorted at Tilda's pitiable begging as she was led from the room, flapping his wings once as if to say that's that when the door was closed behind her. Really, interrogating Tilda, tracking down each and every person who had wronged Integra, and then beating sense into them was going to be too much of a hassle, not to mention it would be at least eighty percent of the castle’s inhabitants; perhaps he could just use Tilda as an example, and hopefully the others would correct their behavior.

Seras had woken up as soon as Vladislav had burst through the door. She was too weary to speak, but she realized quickly what the nurse had done, and she was furious. She growled at the woman as she was led out, before she heard Integra say her name weakly. "Yes, my lady?" she said immediately, heading towards the bed and taking Integra's hand.

"I'm too tired to try and translate," said Integra, before trailing off into a few coughs and wincing at the burn in her throat. "Did... what happened?"

"That bitch was poisoning you," Seras replied. "I'm so sorry, my lady, I didn't—"

"Ha!" said Integra faintly, smirking. "I knew it."

Seras sighed, reluctantly smiling in response. "How are you feeling, Integra?"

"Dreadful," Integra replied. "Can you ask my husband what he plans to do with the nurse?"

"My lady wants to know what you plan to do with the nurse," said Seras to Vladislav immediately.

Alucard had been watching their exchange, and when he was summoned he went to sit beside Integra on their bed with a smile on his lips. "She'll be interrogated and given a traitor's death. I intend to make an example of her; a warning to anyone who tries to betray the royal family.” His wings fluttered, betraying a little self-consciousness though his expression did not. "Does that suit my wife? Would she prefer something more severe?"

Seras repeated his words to Integra, who made a hoarse sound of thought. "And what exactly is a traitor's death in Wallachia?" she asked Seras, coughing again. Seras repeated her words to Vladislav.

Alucard's smile grew, his expression one of grim delight. Seeing traitors' slow suffering was a pleasure he had learned from his mother long ago. "One of the cruelest there is. Death by impalement. Slow, painful, and deserving of a self-serving coward." He replied, breaking eye contact with Seras to meet Integra's eyes. His eyes softened a fraction, and he brushed the hair from her face. "I assure you, once the castle catches a glimpse of it in the courtyard, you won't have to worry about anyone laying a single finger on you from now on."

Seras repeated his words to Integra once more. After a moment of thought, Integra's mouth crept into a savage smile, reaching up to put a hand on his chest in approval. "Good," she said hoarsely in Wallachian, before coughing once more. Maybe there were benefits to such a savage society after all. The process of law in Britannia would take years to convict someone of a crime.

Alucard's wings flared at Integra's confirmation, showing how deeply pleased he was at her approval. "Good. Then it shall be done." He grinned and took Integra's hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze before lifting it to his lips in a gesture of promise. "Now, you need to rest and get that poison out of your system—Doctor Trevelyan will attend to you personally from now on."

Integra gasped at the kiss to her hand, turning away in flushed embarrassment. "Thank you,” she managed in Wallachian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Reminder that Gwen and I both have tumblrs, which include official art and updates (tagged LOTB). If there's ever a chapter delay, look there first to see why! 
> 
> Thank you for reading once again!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was as if she had taken over his mind and he could think of nothing but her, her downy wings, her warm skin, her shimmering hair when it was let down, how she felt under his touch... it was enough to make a man mad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back on our regular updated schedule, and we hope you enjoy this new chapter! it's very long, and things are getting spicy....

About five days into her proper recovery, Integra was lying in bed waiting for Alucard to bring her stew from the lunch he was eating. She felt a bit guilty, knowing that he was spending so much time caring for her, but she couldn't help but appreciate it. It turned out the barbarian prince had a kind and gentle bedside manner. Who knew?

With every day he cared for her, she improved, and she was able to sit up and walk. Her throat was healing. And they were still sleeping tangled together, even though she wasn't sure she had a fever anymore. It felt… nice having someone to look after her, especially since Seras was so busy with the Wallachian army.

And as much as Alucard hated to admit it, it felt nice to have someone to look after. After Jusztina passed away, Alucard had closed himself off from the majority of his friends and family, filling his time with training, instructing his army, and studying war tactics. He hadn't shared his bed with any other in the time between Jusztina's death and his marriage to Integra, so it was a pleasant novelty to wake in another's arms again.

Now that Integra had proven herself a warrior worthy of defeating even the Red Death, her status as the Britannian princess wasn't quite so repulsive. In fact, the more they spoke together and her health recovered, the more he was able to look past his prejudices to see her for who she was as a person—and, he grudgingly admitted to himself, he liked what he saw.

Eager to return to Integra and share a story about a new recruit's hilarious blunder, Alucard quickly cobbled together a quick lunch of hearty beef stew, garlic bread, and sweetened cranberry juice without more than a cursory greeting to his parents.

They shared a knowing look as he loped off to his quarters, humming to himself; Integra's improving health seemed to be improving their son's mood in turn.

After waiting for about ten or fifteen minutes, there was a knock at the door. Integra looked up and smiled, pleased that he was coming in so early. “You can come in

Alucard then elbowed his way in; he’d had to knock on the door with his foot, as his arms were so occupied by the tray of food. He smiled to see Integra already sitting up, but her wings still looked limp and dull with sickness. "Afternoon, sleeping-head… wait, is that right?" he asked in Breton as he carried the tray in. "Pip is trying to teach me idioms, without much success, I'll admit. How are you feeling?”

She snorted, before saying in Wallachian, “Close. It's 'sleepy head'. Er, how do you say, 'same thing, really'." She flushed, then spoke in Breton, "Sorry. Hard to remember Wallachian since I've been so sick. But I'm feeling better. Much better. Hungry." She looked at the food in interest. "Mmm, smells good; is it beef?”

Alucard hummed in understanding and gave a short nod. "Hm, ‘sleepy-head'... odd." He mumbled to himself in Wallachian before giving a shrug of his shoulders. He pulled up the bed-table Integra had been using and set the tray upon it—Integra tracing the food with her eyes longingly—before sitting down beside it on the bed. "Don't feel too guilty about it; Wallachian can be difficult even when you're perfectly healthy and a native speaker. Breton and Wallachian, they're so similar in but so different… it's interesting, really, when you consider how far apart the countries themselves are. I wonder how that happened..." he mused aloud before flushing a little himself, realizing how long he had been rambling on.

His wings fluttered and tucked against his back self-consciously. "Apologies. It's just been on my mind with these daily lessons…”

Integra nodded. “Don’t be sorry. It is interesting, isn’t it?” she said in Wallachian. "Really, they are so different in saying things, especially. Like, the rolling r and things. The guttural stuff. Ugh, I promise I'm better at words in Breton.”

Alucard chuffed quietly. "The accent does do a lot to change how you speak, doesn't it? Pronouncing Breton's 't's and the softer, longer sounds, that's what gets me… it all sounds so soft. In short, I need plenty of practice.”

"You're doing an excellent job, though," Integra said encouragingly. It was true; because of her sickness, he had much more practice with her language than she had with hers. She resolved herself to working double-time to catch up to him. ”I need practice, too.”

“You think so? I… thank you. Your Wallachian is good, too. Very.” Alucard complimented stiltedly, thrown by her encouragement but eager to return it. “Talking with a native speaker helps, doesn’t it?” He attempted a smile.

Integra flushed as she smiled back, pleased that the prince thought she was learning it well. _Why does that make me so happy?_ "It does help. It helps a lot."

They smiled at each other for a moment too long, both unsure of what else to do, until Alucard cleared his throat. “Anyway, I'm glad to hear you're feeling hungry,” he said, trying to be nonchalant. “An appetite is a sure sign of recovery. You haven't kept down a solid meal for three days; I'm not surprised you're half-starved. And it _is_ beef; It’s my elder brother Mircea's favourite today, in honor of his birthday; paprika beef stew. It's not spicy at all, but there's a faint cayenne in it that should help your throat. There's garlic bread and juice too, if you want. I wasn't sure how hungry you'd be." He stirred the stew and scooped up a spoonful. His scarlet eyes studied her for a moment, calculating but far from cold. "Do you feel well enough to eat it yourself?"

Integra scoffed at his question. "Of course I..." But she trailed off when she reached for the soup with a shaking hand. "I... I don't want to spill it on my white nightgown," she said in shame. "I suppose Seras might be done with lunch, now. I could ask her…

Alucard set down his spoonful of soup when Integra trailed off, looking thoughtful. Earlier on in the week, he had occasionally spoon-fed Integra her meals when Seras was indisposed, but neither of them had been too pleased with such an intimate task. But now, to see Integra's proud face coloured with shame, Alucard found himself scooting closer on the bed with an eager ruffle of his wings before he could think about what he was doing. "Unfortunately, Lieutenant Seras is off cavorting with the Captain in town for their lunch break… it's just me today." He lifted another spoonful, gesturing it a little toward Integra with a faint flush in his cheeks. He felt so silly, blushing over nothing. "Er. If you'll have me."

Integra looked surprised, eyeing his wings before sighing as he mentioned where her attendant was. _She's so close to that Captain... she had  better be careful with him._ Her eyes widened. "Oh! I... of course. That would make sense." She had been spoon fed by him before, but she found herself less angry about it this time. "Yes, it's alright. You can." She grit her teeth and leaned up to better get the soup to her mouth.

Alucard nodded eagerly, cupping his hand under the spoon to make certain the broth didn’t spill over. When he noticed she was struggling to lean forward he automatically extended his wing to support her, not thinking anything of it as it was such a natural gesture for a Wallachian. “Lean back, I’ll bring it to you.”

Integra leaned back into his wing as a second thought, not realizing what she was doing in her hunger. "Ok," she said softly, parting her lips in readiness.  

Alucard smiled absentmindedly at her slight weight on his wing. He brought the spoon to her mouth, making certain to be gentle when it met her lips. “How’s the taste? Mircea talks a lot about it; I’m interested to see if you like it as much as he does.”

Integra’s eyes widened as she swallowed. "It's delicious," she said, pulling back a bit to speak. "This is amazing." It was heartier than any Britannian dish, and that felt good to her in her hunger. "I can see why he likes it so much." It actually _was_ a little spicy, but she wasn't about to tell him that. She could deal with it.

Alucard beamed, his wings puffing up a little with pride. He felt oddly pleased to hear that the Britannian princess had enjoyed something Wallachian. “Really? You like it?” he asked, scooping up a spoonful of beef and carrot to blow on it before extending it to Integra. “You’ll have to talk about your love of paprika beef stew with Mircea when he returns. He could talk a glass eye to sleep about this soup...” he finished fondly in Wallachian, rolling his eyes at the thought of his usually quiet elder brother waxing poetic about food. “He said once that it’s like the finest medicine, so we’ll have to put it to the test, won’t we?”

"I suppose we will," Integra said, smiling at the affectionate way Vladislav spoke of his brother. She didn't understand some of the Wallachian he had used—why would a glass eye sleep?—but she understood him, just the same. After a while of eating soup, she cleared her throat. "Er. Can I ask you something?"

Alucard glanced up, wiping his beard with a napkin after taking a bite of garlic bread for himself between spoon-feeding Integra. He swallowed, nodding. “You may,” he acquiesced with a raised eyebrow, “should I be worried?”

"What did you call me, the night you... ah. The night I got here. House? Something?" Integra said, hoping she wouldn't anger him. "I just... the way you said it..." Such a large man speaking with such gentle reverence, and the way he touched her wings… _No, I can’t think about that right now._

Alucard felt his cheeks warm again at the reminder of their first night together; how he had touched her wings and called her his goddess. She did look like the very image of Hausos, but... He cleared his throat and stirred distractedly at the soup. “Ah, yes. That.” He took in a deep breath. “Hausos. The goddess of dawning war, victory, and loyalty. She’s my patron goddess, and you—well, you look very much like her,” he explained, glancing up to gauge Integra’s reaction.

Integra frowned at his words, taking a moment to translate them into Breton before her eyes widened. "Oh! I... patron goddess? I knew the Wallac— I knew you had many gods, but I didn't know you took gods as patrons.

Alucard nodded before taking a spoonful of broth, hoping it would distract him from the memory of how utterly resplendent Integra had looked that night. It was an image that could’ve been painted on a temple wall. “Yes; when we come of age—that is, when we finish our training, we choose our patron deity and begin going to their temple, though we still attend, hm… normal Wallachian temples for weddings and funerals.” He explained as simply as he could, seeing Integra was trying to process his words into Breton. “I chose mine after my first battle, when I was 14… I hadn’t finished my training yet, but I had been to war.”

Even with his simplified language, it took a moment for Integra to understand him. "Oh, I see," she said finally, taking the information in. "I... really? The age of fourteen?" That made her frown. She had recalled that Britannians always spoke of seeing child soldiers on Wallachian battlefields, but she had hoped that it wasn't true.

"Yes, well, it was a time where the war was at its worst. The Brita—ah, your general, he was very strong." Alucard said with a shrug, pouring a tankard of sweet cranberry juice for Integra. "We needed every able fighter we could get, and since I was the second son, I went. And when I came back, and we had won the campaign, ah… the long battle, I knew which deity to devote myself to." He smiled, taking a sip of his own drink. "It isn't a choice many Wallachian royals take, but Hausos was who got me through my first battle, so… oh, would you like to see her?"

Integra listened to the story with narrowed eyes. "Oh," she said flatly. "I..." She didn't know how to feel.

She had always mourned Britannian losses as her own losses. But then again, she was somehow glad that Vladislav got out of the battle victorious. If he had died… "I... yes, I would.” _It’s not his fault that our people hate each other. He… he’s not a mindless barbarian, and he has as much a reason to hate my people as I have to hate his._

Alucard noticed Integra's conflict and cleared his throat awkwardly again, realizing how his story came across as dismissive of Britannian losses. While he was far from forgiving Britannia as a whole for the many deaths they had caused his people, he knew Integra had been too young or untrained to participate in the most recent battles between the two countries. It made him feel oddly guilty, and he was glad for the change of topic. "Ah, right—here, let me just..."

He got off the bed and went to his bedside cabinet where the miniature altar was set, carefully lifting out a small marble statue decorated in subtle streaks of gold. The statue was of a woman dressed in elegant armor over a long, flowing dress, with her sword and wings raised with pride; it was indeed almost in Integra's perfect likeness, save for the lack of spectacles and longer hair that pooled around her feet. Even their faces were similar, their noses aquiline and straight, eyes sharp, and high cheekbones. Alucard sat back down and proudly showed the statue to Integra. "You could be twins, don't you think?" he chuckled.

"Oh," Integra said, this time in surprise as she looked at the statue. "Oh, she's... she's beautiful." But it was true; she could see where the resemblance lay.

Alucard smiled down at the statue in his hands, proud to hear Integra thought her as beautiful as he did. “She is,” he agreed, glancing up to meet Integra’s eyes. “The likeness is clearer in paintings; even her skin tone, wings, and hair are all the same. Hausos’s eyes are gold, though.”

"I... I can't compare myself with a goddess, though," Integra said firmly. "Would it not be, er, what’s the word… an insult? To her name?" The statue made her feel... proud for some reason. As if its power affected her. And she was beyond flattered that Vladislav thought her to be that beautiful.

Alucard traced the edge of one of the statue’s wings, then after a moment of thought, shook his head. “In my religion, we believe that the deities, uh, gods, do everything with a purpose. There is a reason why you and my patron goddess appear so similar, and why you came out of your battle with the Red Death victorious.” He drew in a breath and stood to put the statue back in its altar. “I don’t know the gods’ reasons, but I know it’s not an insult to Hausos’s name by comparing you to her.” He smiled at his wife before placing the statue back to lock it away.

Integra listened to Vladislav with wide eyes; it was clear that Hausos was very important to him, and that in turn she herself had become important to him, in some way. It was almost frightening, but she felt very honored at the same time. "Perhaps... perhaps this entire arrangement was fated, then," she said softly. "I wonder if it is destined for happiness or destruction."

Alucard shut the cabinet doors with a click, pausing afterward to think. It must have been fate that he was wed to a woman who appeared to be the image of his patron deity; it was too coincidental. He knew his parents had never seen Integra before, and the Britannians seemed ignorant about Wallachian religion. Was it really a message from the gods, pairing them together to end the long and bloody battle between Wallachia and Britannia? Were they, too, tired of the centuries' long fighting? He sighed and stood, moving to pick up the tray of finished food to set it aside. "Perhaps it was. It seems that way, doesn't it?" He smiled, touching her chin briefly. "If this arrangement was fated by Hausos herself, then it can only end in victory, no? Now… are you feeling up for a game of chess?"

Two weeks after that, and Integra had made rapid progress. With a proper doctor, she made leaps and bounds each day. She gained most of her weight back, and began working out regularly again to gain back her muscle mass along with it. She even began experimenting with leaving her wings out, finding the binding process becoming more and more tiresome. Still, she only uncovered and unbound them when she knew she would be in her private quarters, with only Seras, Vladislav, Pip, or Radu around. She continued to sleep in the same bed with Vladislav, as she now had realized that he truly wanted her safety.

And indeed as Integra improved with proper care, Alucard became less concerned about her health and more about her safety. After being alerted to the fact that she had been tormented by his staff and nobility, it became more apparent to him that she needed to be prepared in case another attempt was made on her life—they were tiresomely frequent in Wallachia as it was, and the royal family had the majority of Wallachian approval. Integra was just one lone, strong-willed Britannian.

Therefore, after two weeks had passed and Integra's health was more or less normal, Alucard woke with the idea in his mind that he was going to train Integra into a proper warrior capable of fighting with the best of Wallachia's forces.

He stretched his wings and arms, yawning before giving Integra's shoulder a shake. "Integra, get up." He moved to the side of the bed and stood, pulling off his nightshirt.

Integra groaned, reaching a hand out to smack at Vladislav's. "Be nice, Vladislav,” she huffed in Wallachian, before rolling over and sitting up, stretching until her joints popped and she hummed happily. She still refused to look at him while he changed, instead preferring to pretend he wasn't in the room and get changed herself.

"I'm always nice," Alucard replied with a tone of mock offense in Breton as he slipped into a loose pair of breeches and boots.

Integra rolled her eyes. “Seras?” she called when she was almost dressed, hoping her attendant was nearby to help her bind her wings so they could do a few exercises before breakfast.

Alucard glanced over his shoulder at Integra when she called out for her attendant, smiling. "You might want to leave your wings unbound for now. I'm taking you out to the field before breakfast." He told her, picking up his sword and twirling it once before placing it back in its scabbard. "We're going to train."

"Train?" echoed Integra, raising an eyebrow as she eyed his sword. When she noticed he was shirtless, she flushed and averted her eyes. She left her wings lose, but put a heavy shawl over them to ensure that they wouldn't be seen on the way to the field. Otherwise, she was wearing a pair of tight black breeches tucked into calf-high boots and a creamy blouse with a tight brown vest over it.

"Yes, train," Alucard chuckled, grinning when Integra flushed and turned away. He pulled on a low-necked, open-backed black shirt and pulled his scabbard over his shoulder. "You need to know how to defend yourself in battle and otherwise. As you're already aware, assassination attempts come to royal family members like flies to honey.”

Integra turned around again, only to barely suppress a snort of laughter. "I... I need to know how to defend myself?" she repeated. "Really?"

"Mhmm," Alucard hummed in reply, oblivious to Integra's incredulous tone. He opened the door and held it open for his wife with a smile. "After you."

Integra nodded her head in thanks at his holding open of the door, walking through and following him down to where she knew the fields were located, smiling to herself all the while. Did he really have no idea what she was capable of? _Well, I have been holding back in my efforts to be dignified…_

Her mother had died when she was a mere babe, and her father became sick soon after. Raised primarily by Walter C. Dornez, one of the more prominent soldiers in the Britannian army, Integra was tutored in self-defence and swordplay from the tender age of eight.  

When they reached the misty, cold training field, Alucard unlocked a sparring circle and stepped inside. He took off his scabbard, boots, and shirt, setting them down by the circle's edge. He turned to Integra, leaning against the fence with a somewhat taunting smirk. "Whenever you're ready, try to land a blow on me. Knock me down."

Integra blushed and grimaced into the distance again when Vladislav took off his shirt once more, but turned with both eyebrows raised as he gave her those instructions. "Knock you down?" she repeated. "I'll do my best." With one hand, she threw her shawl to the ground. Then she ran at him, effortlessly using his larger size against him to tackle him to the ground and pin him, holding his arms while her knee pressed his lower back. "How was that?" she asked, her voice awash with triumph. Finally, she could beat something up again.

Alucard was perfectly astonished when he found himself thrown to the ground with so much force his breath left him in a wheeze; it had happened far too fast for him to even make a noise of surprise. He spat out a mouthful of sand and shook his head, trying to reorient himself—but the second he got his thoughts into order, all he could think of was how incredibly effortless Integra's throw had been, how graceful her form had looked in the split second before he had been tossed to the ground—almost arousing. It made him a little dizzy.

"I think that—was good," he said breathlessly.

“Yeah?" Integra said happily, tossing her hair over her shoulder and adjusting her glasses. "Good, huh?" She felt so powerful straddling the back of this prince, her husband, a man who had over a foot of height on her.

 _Get it together!_ Alucard thought to himself, eager to impress his wife with his own skills. “Very good,” he said playfully, fluttering his wings and brushing the feathers teasingly against Integra's nose, hoping to distract her enough to turn the tables.

Integra sniffed and shook her head in annoyance as his feathers brushed her nose, flushing at the touch.

"But two can play at that game,” Alucard continued. He swatted the hard bone of his wing against her shoulder and rolled them over using brute force. He grinned triumphantly. ”Ha! I knew that one would work on you." He chuckled through hard breaths, leaning down so close his nose brushed hers. His fingers smoothed teasingly around her wrists. "Let's see you try to break out of this one."

Integra growled in protest, struggling against his hold. She huffed again, grimacing in embarrassment as their noses touched and she flushed darkly at how close they were, his naked hairy chest touching her clothed one every time she inhaled. "That's hardly fair play," she admonished, glaring at him.

Shifting slightly, Alucard brought one knee up between her legs to keep his balance; his wings puffed and flared up in a low arc, subconsciously revealing how aroused he was becoming from their close proximity and Integra's earlier display of power. "Mmh, I knew from that first move of yours that I wouldn't be able to win against you if I played fair. I was right when I saw a fighter's spirit in you. Now..." He leaned in a little further, grinning. "Show me more, Integra."

Integra choked out a gasp, watching his wings puff up and reshapen. She was starting to learn the different types of wing movements, and she had a vague idea of what this one was, thanks to her research and her first night alone with Vladislav.

She still couldn't suppress her own wing movements very well, especially when she wasn't concentrating, and her wings happily attempted to mirror his own even while being pressed into the dirt—which Alucard tracked with his eyes. It occurred to him then that pleased him to know that she liked him on some level, even if it was purely sexual or aesthetic. _Of course I want her to like me—we're going to be sharing a life together. We might as well like each other._

Biting her lip in thought, Integra relaxed into his hold as if giving up. "Fine, I suppose you—" she began, before quickly feinting as if she was going to knee him hard in the groin and used the resulting startle to flip him onto his back.

Alucard laughed out of sheer delight, his wings spreading slowly to their full span against the sand; being pushed to the ground so roughly by Integra had a profound effect on him. "Excellent! Now you're getting the hang of fighting dirty." He chuckled, his face flushed with arousal. He tilted his head, slightly baring his neck in a subconscious, submissive gesture. "Don't be afraid to use any tools at your disposal against your enemy."

Integra blinked as she looked down at her husband. _God, maybe pinning him like that was a mistake_. It was as if she was suddenly struck with the full force of how attractive he was. Previously, she had considered him quite plain, especially compared with his brother; now she found him very handsome, and frowned to cover her blush as she admired that stupid look on his face. As he bared his neck to her, she felt her fangs elongate for some reason.

Alucard was completely entranced. _Gods, but she's beautiful. Truly, the image of Hausos herself… that hair, those wings… those muscles, fangs… I didn't even know Britannians had fangs until her..._

Integra shifted back to distract herself and felt something hard... _Oh, my God._ She may have been wildly inexperienced in country matters, but she was not totally uninformed. For a moment she debated flinging herself off him, retreating to the safety of distance. But her stubbornness kept her on top of him, wondering what to do next.

"Any tools?" she said suddenly, before ever-so-casually rolling her hips in the pretense of getting comfortable. "Any and all of them?"

Alucard grunted, his feathers spread further apart. He suddenly found himself desperate for more of her. The rolling of her hips created such a delicious friction that he fisted his hands in the sand.

"Yes," He rasped, wishing his voice didn't sound quite so wrecked after so little stimulation. "Any tools… you deem necessary." A slow grin crossed his lips as he stared coyly up at his wife. "That's how fighting dirty works," He emphasized 'dirty' with a buck of his hips against hers, grinning widely now.

Integra had steadied herself for another tackling attempt. But instead she let out a high-pitched moan as he thrusted up between her legs, his hardness hitting her in what appeared to be a tender spot. "V-Vladislav," she said breathlessly, not wanting to give up her position on top of him but starting to feel flustered.

Alucard purred amorously at the sweet, high-pitched moan—he was nearly overwhelmed with the urge to do it again just to hear that delicious noise leave his wife’s lips. "Please...we've been married a month now. Call me Alucard,” he chuckled breathily, his wings flexing with desperation beneath him, begging to be touched.

Integra searched for something else to say. ”I... do you expect me to be engaging in such maneuvers with the enemy?" she challenged finally, interested in his reaction to that.

Her words stirred a sudden, territorial urge within Alucard that made his grin turn to a frown. He leveraged his weight up against hers to flip them over once more. Integra was too distracted to resist, and his wings immediately spread to their full span and flapped once, displaying exactly how much he hated the idea of Integra with anyone else in such a position. "I should hope not," he murmured finally, his voice serious, "I should hope that you never find yourself in such a position with the enemy. I—I wouldn't let it happen to you."

At this angle, with the way they were spread, Alucard’s wings seemed even more alluring. So much so that Integra barely heard what he was saying. When his words sunk in, she raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect such loyalty from you," she said.

"What can I say; you've earned it." Alucard replied with a bit of his usual levity returning to his tone. "That, and my respect. Not many can say they've survived the Red Death."

“I’m flattered,“ Integra replied. Finally she could take the temptation no more, and sighed as she wriggled a hand out of his grasp to reach up and clumsily touch his wings, flushing at her indecency. His words from before reached her as she touched him, and she frowned. ”Oh. Why ‘Alucard’?"

Alucard’s wings ruffled with surprise and pleasure at Integra’s touch as she ran her fingers over his sensitive primaries. Her touch was faint, as if she was uncertain of what she had just done, but the effect on Alucard was instantaneous.

He purred again, bowing his head to take in a stabling breath. It had been a long time since someone had been so bold as to do that to him—he wondered faintly if she realized the feathers had just brushed were something reserved for trusted lovers, not something a quick fuck would entail. He had to gather himself and his thoughts before he realized she had asked him a question. “A-ah... Vladislav is… a family name. From my grandparents' time. The royal general of the Wallachian army, they…they take the name when they make their first kill in battle." He took in another deep, shaking breath. “Alucard is my given name, a name to be used by… by trusted companions."

Integra smiled at his words; for some reason it greatly pleased her that she had earned his respect and loyalty. Her eyes widened as Vlad- Alucard seemed so shaken by her touch, and she pulled her hand away. "I'm sorry," she said breathlessly, trying not to think about how arousing he looked when she did that. "Did that hurt?" She didn't want to break the tentative bond that they were slowly establishing.

Alucard shook his head, giving Integra a reassuring, if a little flustered, smile. "Not at all. Quite...quite the opposite, actually. No need to apologize." He chuckled breathlessly, shaking out his wings to prevent them from trembling so obviously with need but soon lowered them again for Integra's touch, should she so wish to continue.

"O-oh," said Integra, still embarrassed at the thought of what she did. She looked in fascination as his wings lowered, clearly asking for more of her touch. She decided to oblige him, both for selfless and selfish reasons, and reached up to resume what she was doing; this time she stroked the spot slowly. "Well, that's... good.”

Alucard braced himself for the tantalizingly faint brush of Integra's fingers over his secondary feathers—only to let out a low, appreciative moan when she pressed deeper, stroking them with just the right amount of pressure and speed. His gaze flickered down to Integra's own wings pressed in the dirt, before returning to her eyes—he wondered absently if she'd allow him to groom her afterward. "As my… wife, you're perfectly entitled to do what you did. I don't suppose you were taught much about wings back in Britannia?"

Integra shook her head. “No, I wasn't taught anything about wings. In Britannia, we like to pretend they don't exist." She was starting to think that the practice wasn't very healthy; it felt much better letting her wings out, honestly. "I suppose I need a lesson," she added sheepishly.

Alucard pushed his wings further into her touch; a full-body shudder went down his spine. "Mmh...is that so?" He mused when he finally regained control of his senses, purring deep in his throat with each exhale.

Integra felt her wings rustle in interest, feeling a phantom ache in the limbs as if they were craving to be touched like that. "Are you... purring?" she said somewhat breathlessly,

Alucard nodded with one eyebrow slightly raised, his purrs going up in a faint, questioning trill. "Yes? Don't you?" He asked, genuinely surprised.

"I don't believe any Britannian purrs," said Integra in bemusement.

"Really? Perhaps it comes with the horns..." Alucard mused aloud. He glanced back down to her wings and grinned. "Well then… I could certainly… oblige you with a private lesson, I suppose. It would only be right for you to know all about your own body, no? It's yours, after all..." he rasped between purrs, moving to let her sit up. "A very… very beautiful body, if I might say so. It would be a shame not… to know more about it."

Integra sat up and looked away in flustered pleasure at his compliment. As she turned, she caught the sight of her own wings and grunted in displeasure. "They're so dirty..." Her normally silvery white wings were covered in the slightly wet sand. "I can't have a... a lesson like this."

Alucard sat up with Integra, shaking the sand from his feathers with a couple beats of his wings, and smiled. "I can take care of that for you, before our lesson, if you'd like." He brushed a clump of sand away from the top of her wing—making Integra shiver—and stood, extending a hand down to his wife. "We should return to our room, then; my troops will be making their rounds soon, and I should have some wing-cleaning tools lying around. Shall we?"

Integra nodded, taking his hand and allowing him to help pull her up. "Wing-cleaning tools?" she echoed, unsure of what those could possibly entail.

"You know, the usual things for grooming—soap, brushes, cleansing spray, scented mist… that sort of thing."

It did seem a little daunting to Integra, but what had she to lose? She did very much want to avoid his troops seeing her like this, and she had never really needed to clean her wings before, outside of a bath.”Fine," she said finally, reaching down to pick up her shawl and sling it over her shoulders once more.

Alucard picked up his things but made no attempt to put back on his shirt; he hadn't missed Integra's admiration of his chest earlier that morning and, being the self-regarding man he was, he was always happy to preen. "Come on, then. Let's get you cleaned up."

 

* * *

 

"Take a seat on the chair there, would you?" Alucard said when they had settled in the bedroom, "It's less comfortable, but I don't want to get sand in the bed." He turned to rummage through his drawers, his wings raised with the tips slightly flared out to match his good mood. Once he had located the little chest of supplies, he set it down for Integra's inspection.

"Very well," Integra said when they got back to the bedroom, sitting with stick-straight posture on the chair. She watched him nervously, her wing tips twitching in response to her own mood—curious, nervous. She looked at the supplies intently, glad to see that nothing looked too painful or intrusive. "Those look fine," she said, reaching out to pick up a brush and regard it closely.

It was then that it occurred to Alucard that Integra might not know or fully grasp the implications of grooming one another for Wallachians, much less be given full permission to touch everywhere on another's wings. It wasn't like casual sex, which was perfectly common and hardly a private occurrence, but instead something only done with someone you wanted to establish a deeper, lasting bond with; usually one of the later steps in Wallachian courtships.

"Integra, in Britannia, is...grooming considered important to Britannians?" he asked, not wanting to leave Integra uninformed of the cultural ramifications of grooming.

"Only for aesthetic purposes," Integra replied, touching the bristles of the brush and finding that they were soft. "It's usually a job for servants."

“Oh,” Alucard said softly. He leaned on the dresser, his cheeks flushing just slightly. "Because here it’s... well. It's part of our bonding rituals.” He waited anxiously for Integra's reaction, though outwardly the only signs of his nerves was the twitch of his wings and the slight lowering of his brow. _Why am I so nervous? I'm hardly some blushing fledgeling during his first time...I've groomed plenty of wings, why should hers be different?_

Integra mirrored his blush, although hers was sapphire. "Oh... I see. That's... well. That's fine,” she said after a long pause.

Alucard gave a small sigh of relief when Integra acquiesced to having her wings groomed, and walked around to stand behind her; he smiled at the reflected image of the two of them in the vanity's mirror. "Alright. Thank you." He said, rubbing her shoulders to reassure her. "Spread your wings for me and hand me that brush, if you would, Integra." He requested, his voice suddenly and uncharacteristically gentle and warm, as if trying to soothe her with tone alone. "I'll need to get the sand and grass out, first."

"Um," said Integra, concentrating intently on her wings, attempting to spread them on her own. But she was too nervous despite his soothing tone, and all she could do was make them flap uselessly. "I... I don't think I can," she said in frustration, handing him the brush and frowning at him in the mirror, as if daring him to make fun of her. "I can't really control them totally, yet. I'm trying…"

Alucard hummed as he took the brush from her, his eyebrows furrowing a bit while he considered how Integra's wings had been bound. It was such a shame to hide such incredibly beautiful wings with such a rare colouring— _They probably could've been truly magnificent had they been allowed to flourish… she could've been an excellent flier, one of the swiftest_ , he thought sadly to himself, running his palms along the top of them.

"Don't worry. I can teach you how to control them later,” he assured her. "For now, we can do them one at a time. I'll help." Gently, he took the sensation-less marginal covers of one wing in his hand and slowly extended it, careful not to stretch to the point where it was uncomfortable or painful. Once the wing was spread as far as it could, he began to brush it clean with fastidious care, occasionally using his fingers to rearrange some feathers, smoothing and kissing the ends of each feather he had touched. It was ritualistic but intimate, and Alucard couldn't help purring quietly as he admired and cleaned her wings.

Whenever Alucard used his fingers, Integra couldn't help but let out little noises from the stimulation, startling to blush furiously as she noticed that he was kissing some of the feathers. _Why is he being so.. intimate? He went from despising me to... to this... so quickly._

The brushing was a bit less time-consuming than it would have been for full-sized Wallachian wings. When Alucard finished, he pressed a soft kiss to the back of her neck before he took out a small spray bottle full of rosewater and a bar of sweet-scented soap from the box of supplies. "I'm going to wash them now. Is that alright?”

Integra gasped and twitched, looking at him in surprise. Her wings flapped once, gently, as if showing their gratitude and fondness for his touch. "It's fine," she said, her voice a bit huskier.

Alucard quirked a small smile at her little gasp of surprise when he kissed the back of her neck. It was so endearing now to see her reactions to new sensations and experiences, where before he would've been annoyed by them. _I suppose I'm getting soft,_ he thought to himself with a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" said Integra suspiciously.

“Nothing, Princess; I promise,” Alucard said, wiping the grin off of his face. “I’ll continue.”

Integra’s eyes were still narrowed, but she relaxed back in preparation for the cleaning.

Alucard proceeded to spray the rosewater along her feathers, making sure to cover the inner side as well and making Integra’s wings and body quiver.

"Cold!" she yelped, but she didn’t pull away.

“I’m sorry,” Alucard murmured to her, soothingly running a hand down her wing.

Next, he sprayed some water on the bar of soap and lathered it between his hands before massaging the suds gently into the muscles of her wings and through her feathers with meticulous, practiced grace; it smelled like vanilla, saffron, and lavender.

Integra let out a moan very similar to the one she let out the first time he touched her wings, her normally perfect posture slumping as he continued to massage her.

"This soap is an old family recipe—do you like it?" Alucard asked in a near whisper next to her ear as he massaged the thin muscles. "It's my mother's favourite."

"Oh, Alucard," Integra moaned, her body rocking with each stroke of his hands. "I... I like it," she babbled, shivering as he whispered in her ear. "Let's... let's not talk about your mother right now."

Alucard purred with pleasure at Integra's powerful reaction to his touch and nuzzled her hair with his nose. "Mmh, good...it suits you," he told her in a low murmur, massaging deeper into the tissue as she pushed back. "I agree. We should focus on you...and those amazing noises you're making.”

Integra was lulled into security by the sound of his purring and his murmurs. It was the oddest sensation; on one hand she was very much relaxed by the rhythmic touches, and on the other hand that familiar unfamiliar heat was started to swell inside of her again. She had a faint idea of what it was, but the idea was so scandalous to her that she didn't voice it, instead trying to quell her moans as best she could.

He reached around to rub the soap into the more sensitive underside of her wings, making Integra clap a hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying out. Absently, he wished she could purr to tell him that she was enjoying herself, but her muffled cries were more than enough; he couldn't prevent himself from mouthing slowly up the back of her neck. "Tell me if I'm being too rough. I haven't done this in a while…”

Integra whimpered through her hand. "It's... fine..." she managed, her voice muffled.

Alucard kissed slowly down to her collar, his fangs elongating on instinct with such proximity to her pulse-point. "Mmh, Integra… you're divine..." He dug his fingers in again and his wings flared and twitched with arousal when she cried out in response; a moan escaped despite himself and he ran his pointed teeth gently against the soft skin of her neck. "Don't hold back, Integra... this is for you. For your pleasure… I want to hear if you like it or not.”

Integra's heavy breathing turned into panting, craning her head back away from his fangs as if asking for something that she didn't realize she wanted. "Ah, it feels so good," she moaned in response to his prodding, squeezing her thighs together and finding a different remedy for her ache in the action. "Why does it feel like this? Why are my wings... like this?"

Alucard was purposefully avoiding the base and innermost feathers of her wings, knowing that, while their relationship had improved by leaps and bounds in the past two weeks, neither of them had admitted anything resembling an emotional connection to each other—therefore, the most sensitive part of her wings was off limits until she gave her explicit permission.

However, that didn't mean the other, less sexual but still sensitive parts were off the table; he massaged along her secondary coverts with deliberate slowness, enjoying the sight of Integra struggling to come to terms with her arousal under his hands. "Mmh, it's because our wings are made up of delicate nerves and muscles—very sensitive nerves in certain places, just like...other places on your body. Wings have a lot of uses; flying, for show, displaying emotions, battle, for warmth...but it's practically a sin to deny their sexual use, don't you think?" He mused against her skin.

"Alucard," moaned Integra, sweat beading at her temples. "I feel... very hot..." His speech, while informative, was still growled out in his deliciously low voice that only built on her arousal. When he chose to use Wallachian it was thick and heated, and when he chose to use Breton his accent made the most innocent words sound filthy. "Is this... I didn't know it could feel like this... I suppose I've been missing out," she added, her rueful chuckle turning into a whine when he did something positively devilish.

"I'll wash your wings out in a moment, don't worry," Alucard kissed her jugular, misinterpreting her words to mean she was physically hot rather than hot from her arousal, as he thought her inexperience was limited only to not knowing the sexual bonuses in her sensitive wings. "I agree. Think of all the fun you've missed out on...such a shame. Well, we'll make up for it in spades, won't we?" he growled teasingly; he adored the sound of her voice, already so wrecked just from having her wings touched. It made him crave more of her every time she spoke.

Integra brought her hands to the seat of the chair, squeezing the wood in an effort to control herself.  As she continued to move her body in response to his massaging hands, she distantly felt a vibrating in her chest. “ _Rrrrr.._."

Alucard was nosing along her throat before he realized a quiet vibration under his touch. He drew back slightly, grinning excitedly at what he had heard. "I thought you said Britannians couldn't purr?"

Integra blinked, and her purring faded out. "We can't," she said in confusion.

Alucard made a noise of mild disappointment when Integra stopped purring and nuzzled her soft neck with his scratchy cheek. "Aw, you stopped." He pouted, drawing back a little. "You were definitely purring, though, just now. I heard it." He resumed his purring as he kissed down to her shoulder. "It was very, very cute."

"Cute?" Integra said with a pout, looking up at him. "I haven't been called cute since I was... since I was little," she managed through her pants and whines, reaching up to put a hand on his cheek and rub the beginnings of his beard in fascination. He was... such a man, in a way that no man she met from Britannia ever was.

Alucard  drew back slightly to meet her eyes, smiling as he leaned his bearded cheek into her palm. "Well, you're still cute—those noises you're making right now especially." He replied with a grin. “I’m almost done, by the way… almost time for a rinse.”

Integra would have growled, but she was too busy whimpering as the pleasure inside her built and built. "Alucard, what's... um... I..." she tried, worried about the heat that kept churning away inside of her but never wanting it to stop. It only took him running his fingers through her feathers three final times and using his nails to apply just a bit of friction to make the bubble burst. "Ahhhh..." she moaned, drawing up tight in her chair before relaxing back against his chest, feeling decidedly wetter than she had before. _Oh my god, did I just... did I just have an orgasm?_ She flushed furiously, casting her eyes down to avoid Alucard's gaze in the mirror.

Alucard blinked in surprise. _Gods, I suppose her wings really are sensitive if she came just from that… how delightful,_ he thought to himself with a smirk, placing his hands on her waist to steady her against his chest; he smoothed his thumbs against her stomach as she rode out her orgasm, proud of himself to have brought his wife such pleasure through simple wing-touches. "Perhaps a full-body rinse might be in order, instead,” the prince quipped, nuzzling his chin against her hair; something about seeing her come undone had made him want to cuddle her, kiss her and stroke her until she came again and again. He began to purr once more.

Integra inhaled and exhaled, her breathing heavy as her chest rose and fell. A bit of drool leaked from one of the corners of her mouth until she wiped it off with a shamed gesture. Her wings quivered at his purr, and she was dismayed to find that the hunger inside her wasn't satisfied. Would it ever be satisfied? "You... you sound awfully pleased with yourself," she said ruefully, wondering if he was actually somewhat similar to the pigs back home, who would leap at any chance they had to deflower a virgin.

Alucard’s eyebrows furrowed a little at her tone; she sounded suddenly insecure, and he rushed to reassure her. "I'm pleased that I pleased you, that's all," He told her honestly, continuing to nuzzle at her hair. "That's why I offered to groom your wings. It's a courtship ritual for a reason, no? I'm courting you because I recognize you as an equal, as someone I can trust, that I admire—my wife who bested me on the battlefield not once but three times.

"Oh," said Integra, feeling ridiculous for doubting him. She relaxed more with every word he uttered, smiling before she could stop herself. She was so... so happy to be courted by him. So happy to hear him boast about being bested by her.

Alucard was very relieved to see her smile, his wings flexing forward around her shoulders like a second embrace in a physical attempt to assure her of his feelings. "I wouldn't groom just anyone like I groomed you, of course. Shall I carry you to the bath?"

"Carry me?" Integra said softly. "I... I could walk on my own..."

Kissing along her neck, Alucard trailed his hands down her body. “Of course you could. I only offered because your legs might be shaky after coming so hard."

"Of course,” Integra echoed, closing her eyes to try and keep her embarrassment at bay when he vocalized his knowledge of what she had experienced. "Was that coming hard?" she mumbled self-consciously. "I wouldn't know. I suppose the first time should be so intense. But yes, you may carry me. I'd rather not fall.”

Alucard’s smile faded and his hands stilled in their exploration of her body. "First time?" he repeated faintly, staring down at Integra in shock. "You mean you've never…"

Trailing off, he remembered vaguely that the Britannian Queen had mentioned her granddaughter's virginity several times as a crucial selling point in one letter,  but he had forgotten quickly, too upset at the prospect of marriage to care what sexual history his fiancée would have. Virginity wasn't highly valued, nor was its loss stigmatized in Wallachia, so he hadn't thought it important, but—

"I'm sorry, I—" he began, breaking off with a huff. "I didn't know that was your first orgasm ever—I thought that you just hadn't had your wings touched like… I'm a fool." The prince sighed, looking genuinely contrite. "Had I known, I would've been more gentle, explained more about what you were feeling... I'm sorry, Integra.

"I thought you knew!" Integra said, her eyes now open in surprise. "Alucard, Britannian women are supposed to remain completely chaste until marriage. I haven't... I haven't done anything with anyone else. You... the kiss at the wedding was my first. I've never been so physically close to a man as I have been with you. I thought you knew... I thought that was why you agreed to marry me."

"Oh," Alucard said dumbly, not quite knowing what else to say. In retrospect, her behavior made much more sense, now that he understood exactly how inexperienced Integra was. While he initially wanted to be dismissive of such stereotypical Britannian puritanism, he couldn't feel anything but guilt at having made Integra—strong, prideful Integra—so uncomfortable with his actions. "I think your virginity was mentioned to me once or twice before we were married, but since Wallachians don't mind that sort of thing, I didn't..." he trailed off, smiling apologetically down at her.”Well. I've been quite the insensitive ass to you, haven't I?”

Integra sighed, shaking her head and smiling slightly as she covered one of his hands with her own and squeezed it. “I can't believe you all don't care about... amazing. And insensitive indeed. Remember when you tried to maul me at our wedding? I can't say our first and only kiss was a positive experience."

Alucard's eyebrows furrowed, feeling a twinge of guilt. "To be fair, you dug your claws in first. I was retaliating,” he replied, though his heart wasn't in it. His wings gave a self-deprecating little flap and he turned away. "Like I said—if you want to, I'll—I'll make it up to you,” he mumbled. “I'll have to make it up to you somehow… can I still carry you to the bath?"

"It's fine, you idiot," Integra said with a wave of her hand. "Carry me. These clothes are sticking to me, and I don't care for the feeling whatsoever.”

Pressing a brief kiss to the crown of her head, a very relieved Alucard easily swooped her into his arms in a bridal carry. He was already making a list of gestures in his head that could ease the wrongs he had done her in their first few weeks of marriage; he wondered if Integra would mind kissing him again."I can't blame you. I think I'll take a bath, myself—separate from you, of course.”

Integra gasped as he lifted her into his arms, shivering a bit because of his skin's cooler temperature and how her hand reached out to press against his bare, hairy chest. She was so far off of the ground now it almost made her dizzy; she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

The bathroom had two chambers: one, a tub where water was filtered in from the snow outside for quick baths, and through another door was a rock bed pond filled with hot spring water, connected to the hot springs further out in the Wallachian mountains; the room was always filled with steam and the smell of soap. He headed for the hot spring bath and set Integra down on the rocks lining it. "There we are. Of course you know where everything is..."

Integra sighed. God, she loved this bath. Very few places in Britannia had anything like it; it was really only Bath where you could get something similar. She looked up at him nervously when he spoke, not really wanting to undress in front of him yet. "Yes," she said softly. "I've used this bath before."

Alucard nodded. “Good. I’ll be in the other bath if you need me."

"Are you sure you don't mind that I'm taking over your nice bath?” Integra asked, feeling guilty.

"Not at all; it's attached to our bedroom, so it's our bath,” Alucard said with a small shrug, smiling as he brushed a hand over the top of her wing. "What's mine is yours now. Besides, you're still recovering; I wouldn't want you to bathe in the cold and get sick again."

Integra couldn’t argue with that logic. “Very well; thank you." She began unbuttoning her vest, slipping it off and placing it behind the rocks. Then she began unbuttoning her blouse, confident that Alucard would leave her with her privacy.

Alucard shook his head, his wings fluttering happily. "No need to thank me. We're married, after all." He said, looking fondly down at Integra for a moment as she unbuttoned her vest. On a whim, he quickly bent and kissed her cheek, letting his lips linger there a moment before he stood and left her to her bath.

Integra's hands had froze in the process of unbuttoning her blouse, shaking slightly as she tried to get a hold on herself. She put her head in her hands, shaking her head quickly. _Why does this man have such an effect on me? How dare he?_ After a moment, she lifted her head and undressed fully, shivering in the cold air before sliding into the hot water with a sigh. It felt good, getting her temperature up and unknotting her muscles. She leaned back and closed her eyes, before opening them abruptly as she remembered that Alucard was naked next door. She imagined him naked in her bath, her sliding into his lap, and shuddered. Was he hard? Would he touch her in places other than her wings? She let out a soft whine, tensing her thighs again in an effort for friction.

Meanwhile, after shutting the door between the two bathrooms Alucard ran a hand through his hair, sighing deeply as he struggled to fight down the blush in his cheeks. _Get ahold of yourself! You're not some blushing fledgeling and it was a kiss on the cheek—to your wife!_ he thought distractedly to himself as he shuffled out of his trousers and underclothes with clumsy haste. _Why are you acting like this is something you've never done before?_

He sighed deeply once he had stripped naked, staring into the pool of cold water as he attempted to sort through his thoughts—all about Integra. It was as if she had taken over his mind and he could think of nothing but her, her downy wings, her warm skin, her shimmering hair when it was let down, how she felt under his touch... it was enough to make a man mad.

And to think that the woman herself was naked in just the next room over, her warm body even hotter from the steam and the water, what she would say if he was there…

He growled aloud with frustration and stepped into the bath; a full body shiver overtook him at the sheer chill of the melted snow, but he continued forward till he stood up to his chest. "Damn it," he grunted, leaning against the rim of the pool and taking himself in hand. He was as hard as if Integra herself was in his arms, her legs around his waist, her low voice calling his name…  "Damn it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, if you can! comments mean the world to us and give us more motivation.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Doctor, did my ears deceive me or did you say Princess Integra was in heat? I knew I smelled something delicious!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So this is a pretty important author's note. 
> 
> This fic is definitely full of smut, fluff, and really triumphant and heartwarming moments that will make you happy, and we promise a happy ending for every character that deserves it. 
> 
> That being said, that doesn't mean our heros won't suffer on the way. 
> 
> Please take note of the archive warnings for this fic. Graphic depictions of violence and rape are both in this fic, and while neither are described in detail (especially the rape), both are explicitly stated, as is the trauma resulting from such occurrences.
> 
> Please take care of yourself, above anything else. If you would like a more detailed chapter-by-chapter description of why we included such warnings, please let us know. And trust that things will work out in the long haul!!!!
> 
> * 
> 
> That being said: the majority of this chapter is perfectly consensual smut, so enjoy! :D

A month passed. Although she was very much warming up to Alucard, Integra continued to spend occasional time with Radu; he was the first Wallachian friend she had made, and he was still unendingly sweet to her. She had decided not to mention her growing affections to Alucard, not wanting Radu to judge her. Maybe she could reunite the two brothers after a certain amount of time had passed. She also refrained from mentioning Radu to Alucard, for the time being.

It made her feel guilty, though. She was really starting to lo- to  _like_ Alucard. 

Meanwhile, one morning Seras Victoria woke up feeling very queer. Almost feverish. She felt chills up and down her spine and an ache. But none of it was... bad. On the contrary, she felt pretty good. Energized. She had a craving, however, that she couldn't quite place. "Integra?" she said meekly, knocking on her lady's door. She knew that Vladislav was out training his men, thank god.

"Come in," said Integra, looking up from her book. When Seras came into the room, she frowned. "Are you alright? You look flushed." When Seras explained the situation, she hummed in thought. "It doesn't sound like the Red Death, thank God. But it certainly sounds serious. I'm going to get Dr. Trevelyan." They headed back to Seras's room, and Integra made her attendant comfortable before heading down to the apothecary.

She frowned as she walked. For some reason, hearing Seras's symptoms made her almost feel them in sympathy, ever so slightly.

The doctor had to pause his lecture on mixing herbs to his apprentices when Integra entered, waving over one of his nurses to cover for him while he went to the main room. He smiled a little to see the familiar face of the Princess; he had grown rather fond of the Britannian since treating her. He had to grant her a measure of respect for surviving the Red Death, after all. And in turn, Integra had nothing but gratitude for the man who helped save her life. "Ah, Princess Integra. How are you this morning, your grace?" he asked, bowing in greeting to the monarch.

"Very well, thank you," she said with a respectful nod of her head. "But my attendant is feeling strange. Would you mind taking a look at her? We know nothing of Wallachian ailments, and of course I want to avoid her possibly having to suffer what I did."

Trevelyan hummed with concern, rubbing at his bearded chin as he ran through all the possible maladies that had been making their rounds in the castle recently. "Of course, I'll come right away, my lady. One moment while I explain to my class where I'll be, I'll grab my case, and we'll be off as soon as possible. Please, have a seat if you'd like. I'll be only a minute or two."

Meanwhile, Seras lay on her bed, trying to calm the ache in her body. _I wonder what Pip's doing right now..._ The thought of him coming into her room now, shirtless as he now usually was, made the ache worse for some reason, but she couldn't stop thinking about it.

Almost as if on cue, there was a knock on her door. "Seras, guess what I brought!" Pip's voice singsonged from behind the heavy wood; finding it unlocked he allowed himself in as he often had before, wings wide with good humor and a smile on his face. "I managed to snag some of those amazing sweet rolls you said you liked so much, they were the last—hey, are you alright?" His smile faded at the sight of Seras's flushed face and limp posture on the bed. He set the plate he had brought down on the vanity and took a step closer. "You look...like you don't feel so well.”

Seras's eyes snapped open, and she looked up at him with an expression of rapture. "Pip..." she said huskily, sitting up and turning to dangle her legs onto the ground, spreading them wide. "It's so good to see you..." She sniffed the air, moaning softly as she did so. "What is that beautiful smell..." She was so happy to see Pip. She was so fond of him, wasn't she? He was so funny, and nice, and _big_...

Pip raised an eyebrow; Seras hadn't ever said his name like that before, much less with an expression that couldn't be described as anything but pure lust. It was odd but strangely fitting on Seras's sweet face. Wondering exactly what brought this on, Pip continued toward her. "Uh, probably the sweet rolls? I know you said they were good, but I didn't know you liked them this...much..." His voice trailed off as he drew closer to Seras, suddenly feeling a flush rise in his own cheeks as he inhaled. A dizzying, warm feeling washed over him and he smiled, a little dazed with the force of it; Seras had always been beautiful, but had she always been this beautiful? "Mmh, I think I smell it now, too...smells real good..." He purred, his wings puffing and flaring with arousal.

After a few minutes of waiting for Dr. Trevelyan, Integra lead him up the stairs towards Seras's room. "She feels flushed, but she's experiencing chills. And some sort of ache that she couldn't describe.”

Dr. Trevelyan gave another considering hum as they made their way toward Seras's room. It could be a simple cold, but more likely it was— "I see. Milady, forgive my impertinence as I know Britannians are not...fond of speaking of such things, but as a physician I must ask; would you happen to know when Miss Victoria experienced her last heat?”

Integra blinked, wondering for a moment if she had misheard Trevelyan's Wallachian before realizing what he meant. "Never?" she said in confusion. "I haven't, either. We both... Britannians suppress our heats. Oh, damn," she said suddenly, thinking back. "The suppressants... I don't think she remembered to take them. I haven't, either; we were both so distracted by this trip. It's not too late for her to take some, luckily. Sorry I called you up for no reason; if I could just have some of your stock of suppressants, I can help Seras alone."

"It's better than sweet rolls," sighed Seras, smiling as Pip approached her. "You smell it too?" Her wings, unbound as they now usually were, had been puffed up for a while now. They curved coquettishly, signaling her mating period to Pip. Her arms reached up, eager to draw him into her embrace. "Pip... you're so handsome... how did you get so handsome?" She licked her lips, staring at his chest hungrily.

Pip breathed out shakily, his wings mirroring Seras's in their position before spreading to their full span in a subconscious display of his genetic capability, his ability to be a good mate. He didn't hesitate to move into Seras's embrace, his own arms curling around her waist as he nosed at her neck. "Yeah, I've always been like this," He rasped without thinking about what he was saying, his cool hands smoothing over Seras's body, sluggish with the force of his desire.

"Oh yes," Seras exhaled with relief, making sure to press her full chest against him to showcase her own fertility. She groaned in the back of her throat, the cool temperature of his hands a welcome balm from the heat that was raging inside her. "Oh, Pip, fuck yes…"

Pip groaned. “But the real question here... is definitely how... when did you get to be so... mmh, so hot... so gorgeous..." He murmured nonsensically against her skin, rubbing his stubbled cheek against her smooth, warm one. "I mean... you're always so beautiful, but right now you're just... glowing... smells so good... like everything I want... about you…”

Seras nuzzled back against his cheek, before turning and placing a kiss on it. "I want you too," she said suddenly, tugging on his neck. "Pip, I want you. Do you want me? Do you want to take my clothes off, right now? I'm getting hot..."

Pip groaned low in his chest as Seras pushed her chest against his. "Seraaas..." His hands clutched her waist, tugging her closer, and he rolled his hips against hers, searching more contact with every passing second and too blissed out to consider anything else but Seras. Her skin felt like it was on fire against his cool fingers, and the burn felt more than amazing. "Gods yes, is that even a question?" He huffed out a laugh, "I think I might actually die if I don't... if I don't touch you, if I'm not... mmh... inside you..." He purred, one hand trailing under her shirt while the other ran through her near-inner feathers.

Seras let out a pleased moan at his words, before letting out a yelp of pleasure as he ran a hand through her wings and up her shirt. "Pip, hurry," she begged.

Dr. Trevelyan paused on their way to Integra’s attendant’s room to give her a questioning look, wondering if he had misheard _her_ Wallachian. "Suppress them? I… see." He sighed, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses. This is going to be a bit of a mess, wasn't it? Is this what they call culture shock? "Well… I'm very sorry to inform you, my lady, but in Wallachia the custom is to either spend the heats in isolation, to be paired with a bedding-mate, or with one's partner, so we, er. We don't have any suppressants."

"You don't have any..." Integra began, before sighing deeply. "Wonderful." She fanned herself absentmindedly, feeling a bit heated. "Well, Seras isn't going to like that. She's going to gravitate towards that Pip Bernadotte, and I know she hasn't thought about being pregnant..." Her voice dropped off when she reached the next floor and saw that Seras's door was open. "Oh, fuck." She dashed up the rest of the stairs.

Trevelyan frowned, raising his finger as he began to speak, "Actually, my lady, if this is their first time with insertional and completed sex during their heat, there is no chance of Miss Seras becoming—oh, blast." He soon realized Integra wasn't listening and had ran down the hallway, leaving him behind. He sighed, following her at a slower pace. “My lady, there is a reason why the two of them found each other as opposed to—ah, what's the use…"

Integra burst into Seras’s room, where she saw her attendant and Alucard's attendant in a very compromising position. "Hey!" she snapped, clapping her hands sharply. "Get off of her, Bernadotte!”

Pip's purrs broke off with a lazy trill, blinking in dazed surprise at the princess’s anger. “But, my lady, it's..." He tried to explain in a near whine, drawing away his hands from Seras as if it physically pained him. "We matched, she consented, so it's fine… ask the doc!"

“Integra," Seras gasped, looking ashamed. "I... we were just... no, Pip," she begged as he removed his hands from her. "Please, I need you. Please, Integra, let him, I need him so much. I'm aching, my lady, please..."

Pip made a pained noise in his throat, his fingers clutching Seras's as he was torn between obeying the orders from his Princess or the desperate request from his partner. His wings gave a troubled flap; all he wanted to do was press himself up against Seras again, to drink in her delicious scent, and he couldn't think clearly enough to make sense of why Integra wanted them apart. The tips of his wings began brushing Seras's in his desperation to keep contact.

Alucard, who had just returned from his training, heard the commotion and peeked his head in. He sniffed the air and raised his eyebrows as he recognized Integra's scent was particularly pronounced—and delicious. He smiled slightly as he entered the room fully. "Pip, Seras, care to explain what's going on here?”

Integra blinked, feeling flustered as she looked from the two almost-lovers, to Trevelyan, to her husband. "She's... Seras is going into heat, and we usually suppress ours," she explained quickly to Alucard. Odd, she was feeling an ache too. Maybe she ate something that wasn't sitting well with her. "Doctor, what is Bernadotte saying?

"Suppress it? I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Alucard muttered to himself, subconsciously sidling closer to Integra and putting a wing around her shoulders. Was the room always so hot? "Doctor Trevelyan, I can handle things here. If you could make sure to inform the necessary parties on your way back that Captain Bernadotte and Seras will need sustenance delivered to Seras's room for the next week, that would be excellent. Thank you for your service.”

Trevelyan sighed, adjusting his glasses. The Prince could do a more comprehensible job of describing how heats worked than he could; and if he was reading the room correctly, Seras wasn’t the only one going into heat. "Then I leave the situation in your capable hands, your excellency. I'll make sure the necessary arrangements are made for the couple." He gave a deep bow to both monarchs and fled the room, happy to be free of the cloying aura of two sets of partners going into heat at the same time. "Gracious… I hope this turns out alright."

As soon as Doctor Trevelyan had left, Alucard looked for the right words to explain Wallachian heats to his wife. ”Integra, seeing as this is apparently Seras's first heat, it's going to be excruciating unless she has a 'match'—when one Wallachian goes into heat, their natural scent becomes magnified to attract a mate to spend their heat with; the match is any one or more Wallachians that find the scent particularly appealing—maybe even intoxicating if it's a 'true match' or a longtime mate—and the set will enter into a 'sympathetic heat' if the originator finds the others' scents equally as appealing and gives their explicit consent,” he explained with a wave of his hand. "But it's not as complicated as I'm making it sound. In short, any first time two Wallachians ride out a heat together, they won't get pregnant from the 'dry run'—though the same doesn't apply to a second time with the same partner, which almost always results in pregnancy—so we should let Pip and Seras get to fucking this time before they kick us out with brute force. Makes sense?"

"Pip..." moaned Seras, laying down on the bed and spreading her legs, bucking her hips up. "I need you..." She turned to snarl at the other people in the room; if they didn't leave, she was going to start fucking him anyway.

Integra blinked, trying to make sense of all of the information she was getting. She was feeling a bit dizzy; probably from the smells permeating the room. She wrinkled her nose at the scent of Captain Bernadotte's lust; Seras's smelled fine, but his was quite cloying. But there was another smell in the room... it was heavenly. She couldn't help but inhale deeply, her eyelids fluttering slightly as she tried to find the source. Then she turned her head and found it; Alucard. As she inhaled again, looking at his handsome face, the ache inside her grew. Then, the reality of her situation hit her. She was going into heat, too. "Fine!" she said suddenly. "Yes, I think it makes sense. Everything makes sense. As long as they don't get pregnant, I suppose it's fine. I need to... to leave." She ripped herself away from Alucard's embrace, leaving the room abruptly.

Seras groaned in relief at her lady's acquiescence, reaching up to yank Pip down and throw him onto the bed, straddling him and rocking her hips happily as she pulled off her shirt, blissfully ignorant of the Prince still in the room.

Too passive in nature to go against a direct order or growl at the intruders, Pip made a similarly pleased noise. The noise grew into a delighted groan as Seras took control; he eagerly bucked against her, clutching her face in one hand as he kissed her with frenzied passion while the other undid his belt. "Aaah, Seras… beautiful, heavenly Seras… yeah..." He moaned, sliding out of his pants and running a hand through her inner feathers. "So good… gonna make you feel so good…"

As soon as she got back to their bedroom, Integra whipped off the shawl she had been wearing to cover her wings, desperate to let them air out. They were puffed up and ruffled, and when she reached to touch one, she moaned at the sensitivity. Her breathing was heavy, and the ache in her lower body was all-encompassing. She felt empty, aching for something to fill her up. Or someone. She collapsed on the bed, closing her eyes and trying not to think about Alucard.

Alucard, meanwhile, was too distracted to really notice Pip and Seras's lovemaking after inhaling to sigh; a dizzying rush of delicious scent hit upon breathing in, made him almost physically stumble and a familiar heat build in his lower abdomen. It was undoubtedly Integra, so powerful and pure that he turned to look at her departing form with an expression of mingling reverence and shock. She was going into heat too, probably due to her being on the same cycle as Seras.

"Damn," he whispered hoarsely as he left the room; she had smelled utterly, undeniably mouthwatering, but the question was if she would consent to ride out her heat with him. They had grown much closer over the past two weeks, with frequent kisses on the cheek and a stroke of the wings here and there, but... He shook his head. He needed to think clearly; he was not his younger brother, and he worried that Integra's heat would influence the both of them into making a decision she would regret.

He entered their bedroom only to cross into the bathroom, mumbling over his shoulder; "I'm going to take a bath, sweaty from practice."

Integra had to stifle a whimper; Alucard’s scent was a spicy, thick aroma that fogged up her mind. "Fine," she said hoarsely. "I'll... take a nap…" She doubted she would be able to get any sleep at all.

Alucard was actually grateful for the freezing temperature of the springwater bath for once; it helped cool off the hot tingling sensation just under his skin, begging for Integra's touch. He growled and dunked his head underwater, trying to drown out the memory of how intoxicating her scent had been—too powerful to ignore. _A true match_ , a taunting voice in the back of his head that sounded suspiciously like Radu whispered, prompting him to dunk his head under again.

At the same time, Dr. Trevelyan was stopping a passing maid on his way back to the apothecary. "Mae, would you make sure that heat provisions are sent to the rooms of Miss Victoria and Captain Bernadotte, and Prince Vladislav and Princess Integra—1 couple per room, please." He told her and began to move on only to be stopped by a hand to his chest.

A very well-manicured hand.

"Doctor, did my ears deceive me or did you say Princess Integra was in heat? I knew I smelled something delicious!" Radu crowed, turning away and bolting up the stairs with a grin before the doctor could respond. He was at Integra's door in only a few moments, letting himself in with a charming grin. "Well hello, my dear. How are you this fine morning?" he asked, his wings raising to glimmer in the faint light of the bedroom, presumptuously in the dominant position of an accepted seduction. "I must say, you smell divine..."

Integra was trying to focus on her breathing, trying not to think about Alucard in the next room. But with every minute, it felt like her craving was growing; she was getting to the point where she would be willing to jump the first person she saw. Anything to rid herself of the burning inside of her. She looked up in panic when the door opened, but relaxed when she saw who it was. "Radu..." she said in relief, her wings noting his and taking the submissive position, eager for stimulus. "I... I'm going into heat," she admitted, flushing even more at the admission. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this.”

Radu cooed sympathetically, slipping into the room and shutting the door behind him with a push of his wing. "You poor darling," he crooned, sidling toward Integra with a sway in his hips, his fangs extending subconsciously as his mind associated the smell of a person in heat with drinking a body dry.

"I'll manage," Integra said weakly, her eyes moving from his hips to his wings to his fangs, and back to his hips again.

Radu shook his head melodramatically. ”I assume my beastly brother didn't offer to help, did he? Mmh, he doesn't know what he's got." His palm rested on her hip once he reached the bedside, his grin turning a little malicious; his wings curled forward to brush hers teasingly. "He hardly deserves to take you like I do. To drink you in...that sweet, blue blood of yours. Among other things, of course."

Integra whined, her legs clenching together in an effort to stop the throbbing ache that took a turn for the worst as she noted his scent. It wasn't as good as Alucard's, but it was still very, very good. "He didn't... he didn't offer," she said, "I'm not telling him, I don't want him to feel..." Her voice trailed off as he touched her hip, her back arching as their wings touched. "What?" she said in confusion, not completely understanding what he was saying. Her normally astute senses were dulled by the heat's ever-present fog. "It's really ok, I'll be fine. You don't need to help me; I'll just ride it out on my own—“

Radu shushed Integra with a finger to her lips which he soon replaced with his own in a brief kiss, pleased to see her chase his lips in heat-dazed desperation as he pulled away. He plucked her glasses off and placed them on the bedside table before he smoothed a palm down her hip and to the inside of her thigh, smiling up at her from under his thick, curly hair. "I didn't ask you for your opinion, did I, chickadee?" He cooed, his wings flaring. "I'm here and you're in heat, so I don't think you're really the one in charge here, do you?" His fingers squeezed her thigh, scratching painfully with his long nails and making her wince. His grin was slowly becoming less charming and more obviously ill-intentioned. "No need to be noble, no need to cause a fuss… just shut up and let me taste you, hm?" He purred, "That's not a request, by the way."

Radu’s words made Integra’s blood run cold. "Radu, what..." she said in shock. "That hurts, what are you...?" A few tears formed in her eyes. "I thought... I thought you were..."

 

* * *

 

It was the dark secret of the Wallachian royal family; the youngest Prince had the palace reputation of behaving like a particularly sadistic cat. He could never marry, because he unendingly lusted after pretty young men and women and lured them in with his sweet honeyed words and beautiful appearance. Then he pounced; playing with his prey mercilessly until he became bored or until they were tormented to death, drained of blood and will. He was spoiled and thought himself far above the law; the royal family had to dust more than a couple disturbing events regarding Radu's lovers under the carpet for the sake of their reputation.

The Queen had neglected to tell her daughter-in-law, ashamed and assuming that her youngest son wouldn’t be foolish enough to harm the Britannian princess. Alucard had neglected to tell his wife, originally because he loathed her too much to care, and later because he assumed the same as his mother.

No one had anticipated that Radu would dream of going this far.

 

* * *

 

Suddenly a wave of heat ran through Integra and she cried out, reaching up to grip onto his shoulders. _If he doesn't back off, I'm going to willingly have sex with this monster…_

Radu hummed, inhaling her scent in deeply. It was pure and silvery; too much depth for his taste, but he wasn't about to give up his chance to play around with her a bit and finally get a stomachful of her sweet-smelling blood. He could have had her before this—it was obvious that she had been wet for him since she had first laid eyes on how handsome he was—but he preferred his partners when they were completely at his mercy, and he knew that it would take a heat for such a formidable woman to be so weak. "You thought I was what, darling? Going to be gentle?" He chuckled, leaning over her with a grin that exposed his perfect, fanged teeth. "I'm afraid I'm not the sap my brother is when it comes to country matters.”

"Don't do this," Integra said weakly, trying to be threatening even as she eyed his beautiful purple wings, which were currently all puffed up. She cursed faintly as her legs spread and hips bucked up. Her body was rebelling against her.

“Oh?” said Radu playfully as he licked a stripe up her neck, thrilled at her wanton body language. “And what exactly are you going to do to sto—"

His teasing was cut short as the bathroom door opened and Alucard stepped out, towelling off his hair. "Integra, I was thinking we— _Radu_ ?!" he broke off with a snarl, startling his brother to back off Integra slightly. His mind raced with angry thoughts: _she betrayed me, she's a traitor, and for him? How dare she do this to me, Radu has fucked up for the last time, I'll kill them both where they_ —

Integra looked up and nearly moaned in relief when she saw her husband standing in the doorway. "Alucard, help," she said weakly. "I... I can't push him off..."

Alucard’s eyes widened, then narrowed dangerously. _This isn't consensual._ "Radu, take your hands off of her before you lose them," he growled.

Radu opened his mouth to give a smart retort to his brother's demand only to find Alucard had crossed the room in a few strides and had taken hold of one wing in an iron grip. One yank of his arm and Radu was on the floor, spitting and snarling in pain at the rough treatment of his wing.

"You bastard," Alucard hissed; the sight of Integra vulnerable, begging for help at his own brother's hand had incensed him beyond his deepest fury. He loomed over Radu, wings flared with rage."You absolute fucking bastard, Radu! How dare you attempt to force yourself on her?!"

Hissing, Radu pushed himself onto his feet; his handsome features were twisted with hatred, and his shimmering wings flared aggressively behind him. "How dare you interrupt us? She's in heat, she'll fuck anything with wings right now, so why not me? I deserve it, I was the one who was decent to her first when she arrived!! She's m—" he protested, before he was cut short by Alucard clawing him across the face, sending him reeling back and clutching the gash on his handsome cheek.

"I will not allow her to become another one of your victims, bloodslut! Had you not been my brother I would have torn your head from your shoulders years ago!!" Alucard barked, flapping his wings furiously before charging in to tackle his brother; the two siblings roared and hissed like feral animals as they fought.

Integra moaned, reaching out wildly to stuff a hand between her legs and fruitlessly grind against it. It was the only thing she could think of that might relieve the ache; she had barely even spoken about masturbation with her childhood doctors, let alone practiced it herself. It was a million degrees in the room, and she had never felt more needy in her life. She barely registered the Tepes brothers’ fighting, only moaning in response when she heard Alucard grunt and growl as he fought. It sounded delicious to her; so very powerful and dangerous. Another wave of heat rolled through her and she doubled up on the bed, whimpering desperately.

The fight didn't last long; Alucard was a seasoned war-general and a full half-foot taller than his brother, and Radu only had mandatory self-defense training to use against him. "Get the fuck out, you wretch," Alucard spat, yanking the battered Radu to his feet and shoving him out of the room, "And if I see you approach Integra again, I'll make you choke to death on your own stolen blood. That's a promise," he growled, slamming the door with finality.

He stood at the door for a moment, glowering with fury, before pushing his hair from his face and turning to Integra on the bed. His passionate anger turned to passionate lust as if a switch was flipped the moment he set eyes on Integra's writhing form on the bed, and he strode toward her with his wings flaring up, asking for Integra's acceptance. He watched as her silvery wings flared up in response. The scent of her was so thick, so intoxicating in the room that he swayed, steadying himself on the bed. Heat rushed at him in place of his fury, and he began to pant. He needed— "Integra," he rasped. "Integra, it's… hard to think right now, really hard, but I need to know… will… will you let me ride out your heat with you? As… as your mate."

“Yes," said Integra immediately, looking up at him with eyes clouded over with lust. "Alucard, I need you. I need you inside of m—”

Alucard was using every fibre of his being not to ravish her shining lips or dig his fingers into her silvery wings until she gave her verbal consent; The moment he had it, his mind succumbed to her heady presence and he gave a low growl of pleasure, surging forward to capture her lips with his in a searing kiss that held so much desire it could hardly be recognized as the same man from their wedding, muffling the rest of her sentence. His long tongue pushed deep past her lips as he clambered on top of her, wings flared to their full span and puffed out twice as large.

Integra let out a high moan into the kiss as he descended onto her, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, trying to make him sink into her as much as he possibly could. She hummed around his tongue, reaching up to run her hands through his wings in an effort to feel all of him.

“‘Tegra... I need to be inside you… right… _hnnh_ , right now…” Alucard moaned desperately against her mouth, sitting back only to tear open her shirt with a rough hand; buttons scattered across the bed and the floor, but he couldn't care less. All he could think of was Integra's hot body underneath him, burning under his cold hands. Panting, he dove back in to kiss her again, licking into her mouth with the fervor of a man starved while his hands scratched needily at her wings' inner feathers. "I want… I want... Integra, I want so much..."

"Yes," Integra hissed, shivering pleasantly at how cold he felt against her flaming skin. "I've never needed- _mhmmm_ ," she moaned into the next kiss, bucking her hips as he scratched her wings and following suit with his wings as well. When he released her, she tried again. "I've never anything like I need you, Alucard. Nothing, ever. I'm going to die if I can't have you." At that moment, she meant every word she said.

Alucard hissed with delight as she ran her hands over his wings, her nails scratching over the hypersensitive inner feathers and drawing a low moan from his chest; he lowered his body against hers and began rutting rhythmically against her hips through their pants. "Ah— _ahh_ , Integra, gods..." he rasped, nuzzling his cheek against hers and pressing kisses on every inch of skin his lips brushed. "Yes, you'll have me, all of me..." He growled, completely lost to Integra's desires. Eager to explore her, Alucard’s fingers clutched at her silvery feathers blindly till he grasped the base of her wings, pressing his thumbs into the delicate, hidden bundle of nerves there.

"Wha- _AH_!" Integra practically screamed as he pressed his thumbs into a previously unknown part of her wings, throwing her head back and gripping onto his wings for dear as she came with a burst of fire inside of her.

Alucard grunted at the rough grip on his wings—just like he liked it—and watched her come hard against him. He rubbed his thumb gently over the nerves through her orgasm till she was spent, her grip going a little limp around his wings. "Mmh… liked that, did you, dear one?" He murmured into her ear, purring on each exhale. He was painfully hard, but instinctively he wanted to hang on until he could come inside Integra. After pulling off his trousers and underclothes he tossed them over his shoulder and jerked his chin down at Integra's pants. "Help you with those?"

"Mmmmm," replied Integra, her eyes misty with pleasure as she collapsed onto the bed. "I... yes, Alucard, I want them off. Take them off.”

"Of course," Alucard purred, putting a thumb in the waistband of Integra's pants and underclothes before tugging them off, kicking them onto the floor carelessly. He hummed with pleasure at the sight of her naked body beneath his, smoothing his palms appreciatively over her form while his wings lowered around them like a shroud, shielding Integra from anyone else's gaze but his.

She only had a moment to feel self-conscious about her nakedness before her eyes rolled back in her head a bit at the feeling of his hands. His wings were so black that it felt like they were submerged in darkness when he lowered them, making everything seem so intimate. She lifted her hips to give him easier access, biting her lip when the movement put her into contact with his positively monstrous cock. "Fuck, that's... is that going to fit?" she said breathlessly, a small high-pitched noise leaving the back of her throat as the very thought flushed her through with heat again.

Alucard glanced up to meet her eyes from under thick eyelashes and quirked a smile. "It will. Especially during your heat… it'll fit.”

"I do feel very... empty," Integra admitted, biting her lip as her inner walls spasmed at the reminder.

Ducking his head, Alucard rested their foreheads together in a rare moment of lucidity. "Dear heart, you have nothing to fear from me. Don't worry, I'll take care of you,” he said softly.

Integra pressed her forehead back against his, letting out a shaky sigh. "I trust you," she said. "Please hurry. I'm still... it hurts, Alucard."

Alucard ruffled his dark feathers before settling them around them, the tips of his wings brushing Integra's bare skin; on a possessive, instinctual level, he wanted this moment to be his and Integra's, no one else's—hidden away even from the eyes of the deities. He shut his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts as he rested his forehead against his wife's; even in the haze of his heat, he was deeply touched by Integra's admission of trust.

Eventually, he bent to kiss her soundly on the lips and adoring the taste of her. "Thank you," he murmured, shifting to align his hips with hers with a bit of difficulty; the great difference in size between them wasn't something he had experienced before, but he was determined to make it work. After a moment of watching Integra let out an impatient grunt and wiggled around, and a spark of heat shot through him as their bodies finally brushed against each other in the way he wanted. He bit back a moan. "Alright, alright, I'm… are you ready?"

Integra wrapped her legs around his hips again, wondering at their drastic size difference."I'm ready," she said breathlessly. "Alucard, I'm so ready. I want you."

Alucard nodded, ducking in for another heated kiss; the sensation of her hot, dark skin against his chillier body was nothing short of divine, a balm to the heightened temperature of his heat. "Mmh, I want you too..." he growled against her lips, moving one hand under her back to pull her up against him while the other rubbed at her wings. Unable to hold back any longer, he lowered his hips and slid slowly into her, waiting for her to adjust to his size though he ached to thrust into her and really lose himself to his heat; he groaned low and long at the sensation of her, tight and white-hot around him but was surprised at the relative ease that she took him in, considering that she was currently losing her virginity. " _Haaah_ … Integra, gods, you feel… _fuck_ , incredible… so good..."

Integra let out a strangled moan, reaching up to grab at Alucard's hair and tug at it violently, before grabbing onto his horns instead. It may have been easy to take it in, but it was still a shock to her lack of experience, and she froze still in her attempt to get accustomed to it. At first it seemed as if there was no way that she was going to relax, but then another wave of heat rolled in and she whined and let her muscles go limp, her body opening for him like a flower. "Alucard," she said softly. "It's... so big..." Just what she needed. She rolled her hips experimentally, her eyes rolling back in her head again at how full she was, how much he was filling her up.

The sensation was so divine that Alucard nearly came then and there, but instead took the advantage to thrust even deeper inside her and make her gasp. “Mmh... it's all for you, my heart's darling, all for you..." he rasped, his own hips moving to meet each of her thrusts. His pace was beginning to increase in speed and he gripped Integra's waist tightly. “You... _ah_ , fit so well around me, Integra… feels so good..."

Integra whined his name in response to his beautiful, beautiful words. His voice was so husky and passionate that it made her heart flutter. "Alucard," she moaned once more as he start moving faster. "Yes, go faster, I... I need to feel you. I never want to let you go."

Alucard purred, his wings giving a flap of excitement at the sound of her sweet voice calling out for him. "Yesss..." he groaned hoarsely, "anything you need, anything, tell me, I'll give— _ah!_ —I'll give you anything!" Breaking off into low grunts, purrs, and moans of ecstasy, he sped up the timing of his thrusts. "Mmh, Integra, I’m... _ah_! Gods, I'm close, ‘Tegra..." He began kissing and sucking along her throat, with his fangs brushing her jugular in anticipation.

Integra groaned and tilted her head to give him more space, expecting something that she wasn't conscious of. "I want to come with you," she said desperately, pulling his head to her neck by way of his horns. "I want to come together, Alucard, I'm close too..."

Panting harshly, Alucard nodded at Integra's subconscious way of inviting him to bite her neck and began licking an area just right of her artery in preparation for the 'bonding bite'. " _Mmh_ , gods, yes, Integra, come with me, I want you to come together, I—I want to be together...!" He growled, his thrusts becoming slightly erratic but with more deliberate force, urging Integra's body to come the moment his did to maximize both their pleasure.

Drawing back from her throat, he looked her in the eyes and was lovestruck with how incredibly gorgeous she looked, flushed, teary, and gasping—at that moment, he had the intense desire to mark this incredible woman as his mate and to be marked by her in turn, a bond stronger than marriage. In a moment of lucidity, he knew it wasn't just the heat talking—he cared for her, deeply. “ _Haah_... Integra, I want… I want to bite you, drink you in while you do the same… mix us together… do you want this from me? Be… be mine?" He asked, searching her face.

Integra flushed as he gazed at her, trying to avoid his gaze in embarrassment at how shameless and desperate she must have looked. But she couldn't stop looking at him; his sweet garnet eyes ensnared hers and she hoped that he knew exactly how much she loved him, because she could never express it in words. She blinked in surprise. "That's... you... you want us to bite each other?" she clarified breathlessly.

Alucard nodded jerkily, his hips trembling with the effort of not continuing to rut into her and distract her from making her reply; usually mutual marking was discussed beforehand to prevent impulsive bonding, but he was certain he had never wanted anything more in his life. He stared down at Integra, feeling entranced by her misty, ice-blue eyes. "Yes, a mark—a bond," He clarified in a low growl, his voice deepening with his desire to have her fangs on his neck as they came together.

"I... that's..." It should have sounded crazy, but the thought of sinking her teeth into his neck sounded... God, saliva was leaking out of her mouth and her fangs were elongating at the thought. "I want to be yours," she said desperately. "Are you sure about this?”

Alucard couldn't help ducking his head to quickly kiss Integra's wet lips when she agreed, licking desperately at her exposed fangs, and drew back with an adoring look in his eyes. "Mmh, yes… I want to be yours, too, as long as I live… I want to make this more than a marriage, I want… I want you, Integra, all of you."

"Oh, fuck," moaned Integra as another wave of her heat hit, sending almost painful spasms throughout her body once more as her hips rolled up in search of more friction. "Yes, please, I want all of that, oh, Alucard, just... just bite me already. I love you, I love you, I want you!" She tilted her head again, giving him the perfect target while she eyed his own neck hungrily.

Alucard groaned and met her hips in kind, grinding down feverishly and clutching her face to his. He felt like he was on fire and the only thing preventing him from burning away was Integra in his arms. "Gods, yes, yes, yes Integra, I love you too, gods, so much, I love you, Integra, all of you,” he rasped desperately, kissing down her neck until he reached the spot he had been licking before. Laving his rough tongue over it once more, a low hiss left his throat before he bit down, sinking his sizable fangs deep into her neck. Moaning with ecstasy as Integra's sweet blue blood—more delicious than the finest wine—spilled into his mouth, he tilted his head to give Integra access to his throat as well, his hips renewing their rutting with renewed vigor.

Integra let out a wordless cry, overwhelmed with sensation. As he drank she snarled in response, finding a spot that looked good before sinking her own fangs into his neck and  groaning in pleasure at the taste. His blood tasted like liquid spiced chocolate. She felt savage, animalistic, and she never wanted this to end.

As they drank together and he thrusted into her, she found herself reaching her peak and moaning into his neck as she spasmed around him, losing sight of everything except for the man that she was currently wrapped around. As she came, tears of heat relief streamed down her face. She bucked her hips wildly as he continued to thrust, unsure of where her pleasure ended and his began. Hell, she wasn't even sure where her body ended and his began.

Snarling against Integra's throat, Alucard came deep inside her, his hands clenching into fists around the base of her wings. His thrusts tapered off as he spent himself inside her, milking their orgasms as long as possible before finally drawing to a stop. Their heat temporarily sated, the prince released his jaws from her neck—completely blood-drunk and his head full of nothing but adoration for his new mate. “ _Mmh_... Integra… you're so beautiful… my beautiful, beautiful Integra..." he whispered nonsensically as he laved his rough tongue over his bitemark, soothing the sting and healing the wound.

Integra sniffled softly as she came down from her high. "Alucard," she said in rapture, licking at the wound she made in an effort to follow his lead. "I... you're so..." She couldn't even think of a way to finish that thought. Her chest shook with silent, relieved breaths as she used his horns to pull him close to her once more. In the aftermath of such a dramatic surge of heat, she needed him close.

A little worried, Alucard made a quiet soothing noise and tucked his wings in close to assure her of his presence. He nuzzled her neck and mouthed slowly upward till he reached her face; he kissed away the tears there, eager to make sure she was alright. "Shh, shh, now," He whispered gently, stroking her feathers to soothe her as he cuddled her to his chest and purring to calm her down; the low vibrations often had that effect. "You did so well, so well, my most beloved one, my sweet dear heart," he cooed in her ear, shifting so as to better hold her in his arms. "Blessed, beautiful Integra..."

"My... my prince," Integra replied breathlessly, her wings quavering with emotion.

"My queen," Alucard returned, smoothing her damp hair from her face and kissing her forehead as she calmed.

The more he held her, soothed and purred to her, the more she started to relax. Her sobs quieted into pants of breath, which quelled into becoming deep breathing. She shut her eyes, enjoying the peace and satisfaction of the moment. As she did, her purring made another surprising appearance. This time it started off almost imperceptibly soft but grew louder as it continued, matching up to her mate's purr in rhythm.

Alucard drew back in light surprise. With a grin, he put a hand on her bare chest and ran his thumb over her sternum. "There's that adorable purr of yours again," he said with a chuckle, nuzzling her cheek adoringly. "I'm so happy to hear it… it's so soothing, your purr… my sweet beloved _înger_ ," he concluded with a special Wallachian term of endearment.

"I like your purr a lot, too," Integra admitted softly, before looking up at him in confusion. "What does that mean?" she said. “Beloved _înger?_ ”

Alucard nuzzled her hair with his nose, breathing her scent in deeply, before drawing back a little. "Oh, it's a term of endearment in Wallachia, usually something we said at a wedding to our new spouse...I'm not sure how best to translate it in Breton." He tilted his head, considering. "I suppose...well, there are lots of layers to it, but the best way to describe it in Breton would be 'dearest' or 'beloved angel'," he concluded with a little flush in his cheeks.

Integra smiled. "Oh. I... that's lovely," she said. Then she sighed wistfully. "I wish our wedding could have been..." She trailed off, unsure of what to say.

A flash of regret crossed Alucard's face at the mention of their marriage; they had both been upset for good reason, but now he wished he could do it over, properly, giving Integra the reverence and adoration she deserved on her wedding day— "Me, too. I wish somehow there was a way to marry you again...give you a proper wedding night," he ended in a teasing purr, lightly bucking his hips against hers. He paused, then touched the tingling bitemark on his neck that Integra's fangs had left. Even brushing his fingers over his mark sent a wave of pleasure through him, and he reached to stroke the mark he had left on Integra with a smile. "Marking each other will have to do. Mmh, you look so beautiful with my mark on your neck..."

"Well, I suppose what happened, happened," said Integra ruefully, before moaning as Alucard's already slight erection brushed against her when he bucked his hips. "I... we ended up here, didn't we?" She eyed the mark she had made on his neck with savage satisfaction, knowing that it would make any potentially interested parties back off, before groaning as he brushed hers and sent a bolt of energy through her. "Alucard," she moaned, her breath starting to come faster as that ache began to build in her gut again.

"Hmm? Ready again so soon?" Alucard purred, grinning as Integra moaned his name. He felt rather than saw the urge building in her again as her body began to grow hot against his. "Your appetite is impressive for your first heat, Integra...truly excellent..."

"It's annoying, is what it is," groused Integra even as she began to move against him.

In a quick movement, Alucard lifted Integra easily by the waist as he rolled over and set her down on his abdomen, smiling up at her. "You set the pace this time, my darling. Take control, tell me what you need..." His wings spread wide under his back, each feather flaring with anticipation. His own body was beginning to ache again in response to his mate's. "Take what you need..."

Integra’s eyes were wide as she hugged his wide body with her thick, powerful thighs. She moaned, starting to buck against his erection needily as her wings began flapping eagerly. "I need you inside me again…"

Alucard groaned deep in his chest as Integra clenched her thighs around his abdomen and reached up to grope her hips, tugging her somewhat roughly back against his erection. He hissed at the friction that ensued and sat up a bit, bucking his hips shallowly. "I need—I need that too, to be inside you… right… _hn_ , right now..." he growled, sweat beginning to bead on his brow with the force of the waves of heat that were coursing through him, making even speech difficult. Integra's heat was impossible to ignore, too powerful to not follow head over heels after her. “Please... Integra, on me…"

"Yes," Integra moaned, lifting her hips and taking a hold of him. She sighed happily at how big he was, the only thing big enough to sate the ache inside of her, before adjusting so that he was right at her entrance. Then she sank down with a groan, her eyelids fluttering as she fit all of him inside her. "Deep," she managed, rolling her hips and throwing her head back in ecstasy. The feeling was too good. She felt herself already on the verge of spending.

The tight, scalding heat felt almost too good for Alucard’s mind to comprehend. "Ah, ah, Integra—!!" he cried out as she rolled her hips, his wings trembling and fluttering with blinding pleasure, before he began to thrust up into her, somehow trying to drive deeper. "Gods, so—I’m... _ah_ , already so close… you…" His fingers clutched at her thighs for purchase, digging his blunt nails into her warm skin.

"Oh God, oh God," panted Integra, tears spilling out of her eyes again as she continued to move on top of him, her wings quivering like mad. "I'm close, I’m already close, I'm..." She gasped as they fucked, riding him hard as she pulled at her own hair.

Alucard snarled and purred as Integra fucked herself on him, stars bursting behind his eyes every time she met his thrusts, which grew more passioned as they went on. "Integra, Integra, 'Tegra, 'Teg— _ah_!!"

Integra came first; a particularly hard thrust finally caused her to cry out his name, her body convulsing as she saw stars.

Integra going over the edge pulled Alucard over with her; he came into her a second time with a long groan of satisfaction, jerking his hips erratically till he spent himself completely and fell back into the blankets. Blindly, he reached up for her cheek and wiped her tears away with a shaking thumb. “ _Haaah_... Integra… you’re... so good…"

Integra collapsed onto her husband. Her breathing was heavy, but she was purring all the while, nuzzling into his hand. "Alucard," she sighed. "Alucard, Alucard. I feel so good with you." A pang of self-consciousness went through her, due to her inexperience. "It's good for you? Really?"

Smiling dazedly, Alucard wrapped his arms and wings around his wife, his wingtips and palm slowly stroking her back. Purring in harmony with Integra, he bowed his head to rest her forehead against hers. "Mmh, you too...you make me feel..." he trailed off, licking the tears from her cheeks with his rough tongue. "Really, very, very good. Don't doubt yourself, Integra...you've made me come harder and faster—twice in a row—than any heat I've experienced, with any other person I've shared my bed with,” he purred, kissing her brow. A faint pang of guilt reminded him who he had last held that title for him.

Integra's purr raised in volume, rubbing her forehead against his and congratulating herself over his praise. "Mmm, good," she said happily. "I want to be the only person you've shared your bed with, for the rest of your life." She growled low in her throat at the thought of him with anyone else.

"You will be from now on, don't worry. For a Wallachian, I'm quite monogamous, and honestly the thought of either of us being like this with anyone else but each other repulses me." Alucard assured Integra with a smile and a nuzzle to her cheek as she growled; her territorial nature was incredibly endearing and more than a little arousing to the prince.

Integra nodded, feeling satisfied with his words. Then she realized he must have been thinking about the other person he had almost certainly mated with, while she was alive. "Did... do you mind if I ask you about your... your first wife?" she said tentatively as she leaned in to kiss him on the lips. "I just want to know more about you."

Alucard’s smile fell a bit, turning melancholy at the mention of his first wife. He hummed thoughtfully; it had been seven years, and thinking of her was no longer difficult. But talking about her was still quite difficult. He kissed Integra back and stroked his palm down her back with a short sigh. "No, I… I don't mind. It's been a long while since she passed." He forced himself to meet her eyes. "What is it that you wanted to know?”

Integra shrugged, looking at him worriedly. "I just want to know her name, what she was like. How she died. If it's too much, we don't have to talk about it..."

Alucard shook his head, placing a hand on Integra's cheek and kissing her deeply. When he drew back, he was smiling slightly again. "It's alright, Integra. You have a right to know if you'd like to." He sighed and laid back, wrapping his arms around Integra's waist as he looked at the ceiling. "Her name was Jusztina Corvinus, and she was… I suppose the best way to describe her was 'wild'. She was a marquess, very outspoken, brash, had a commanding presence on the field—we tended to lock horns over my tactics because she thought mine were 'too wimpy’.” He huffed out a chuckle. "Hm, what else… She liked to dance and was very popular with the commonfolk. She always snuck out to the festivals in town without telling anyone, drink the night away, and then come back and wake me up at 4 in the morning to tell me all about it."

The prince shut his eyes a moment, trying to keep his tone as light as possible. "We wanted children, but every time there were complications; each time the miscarriages weakened her, but she kept insisting on going into battle anyway despite my telling her… anyway, she went into the field already at a disadvantage, and when she was badly injured, she didn’t... she couldn't recover from it,” he concluded, drawing in a shaking breath. "Seven years and three months ago.”

Integra had quietly made herself comfortable against Alucard's body, nuzzling into the space under his chin as she listened to Alucard's words. As she listened, she felt the strangest mixture of jealousy, admiration, and melancholy. _How badly does he want children?_ "She sounds like an amazing woman," she said softly when Alucard stopped talking, kissing his jaw tenderly.

"She was… she really was,” Alucard said in agreement, drawn out of his melancholy reminiscence as Integra kissed his jaw to smile at her.

Integra was relieved that Alucard didn’t seem upset at her for bringing it up.”Thank you for telling me. I wish I could have known her.”

Alucard nuzzled her hair and drew in a deep breath, filling his lungs with her scent to ground him to the present. "You're welcome; I’m glad you asked. I wonder if you two would've gotten along? I think she would've liked you for certain; even if you were a Britannian she would've admired your strength, as I do."

Integra huffed. "Well I hope she wouldn't have poisoned my tonic," she said dryly, rubbing her smooth, dark cheek against his scraggly pale one.

"No, she wouldn't have done that... but she might've tried to cut out your heart in a duel." Alucard chuckled, nuzzling back against the silkiness of her cheek. He rested his head against hers, until he began hugging her tightly to his chest with a sudden rush of emotion. "But I swear to you, Integra. You will never fall in battle as she did. I won't allow it. I'd rather die myself than let that happen."

Integra frowned, holding him tightly around the neck. "You won't be able to stop me from fighting with you, though. I hope you realize that. You can't die, either,” she said firmly, not wanting to think of what would become of her without him.

Alucard’s concern grew. He sat up on his elbows, still holding Integra to his scarred, hairy chest to meet her eyes. "Integra, no, that's not—Wallachia's battles don't have to be yours. I don't want to lose another wife on the battlefield—I don't want to lose you, Integra." He clutched her shoulders, searching her face. "You're strong and capable, I know that, but if anything happened to you, I—" He broke off with a grunt, his heat suddenly flaring.

"Well I certainly won't fight if it's against my country," said Integra, leveling an austere look at him. "But as my husband... and, and as my mate, your enemies are my enemies. If you have to fight, I'm going to fight with you, and I can guarantee that you won't lose me—" She was going to say more, but his heat was hers. The moment he grunted, a small desperate noise pulled itself from the back of her throat and all she could think of was his cock. "Alucard... how do you want to... this time?" she said quickly, learning in to thrust her tongue into his mouth and moaning at his taste.

Before Alucard could even begin to form a coherent argument about why he didn’t want her fighting with him, his wife surged forward to kiss him so feverishly that every thought other than Integra flew out of his mind. Besides, he reasoned to him himself, at the moment he could deny Integra nothing, and it was senseless to argue with her during a time where they were meant to appreciate each other. “We'll... we'll talk—mmh… more about this later..." he growled against her lips, sitting up further and sliding his hands into her feathers. "Much later..."

 

* * *

 

 

The rest of their heat passed in much of the same fashion, with short breaks for necessities in between. At the conclusion of the week, the pair was exhausted and hungry, but much closer than before the heat had begun.

After his attempt to assault the Britannian Princess was discovered, Radu received a strict, unforgiving talk and a whipping from the Queen for his actions—the most punishment he would ever get as a prince. That and Alucard’s physical superiority scared off the cowardly Radu, and he swore he’d leave them alone to enjoy each other.

The next two months seemed like a honeymoon of sorts for the couple, and the one was seldom seen without the other at dinner, at training, and at the royal court.

However, their happiness was not to last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave as many comments as you feel comfortable!!!! They keep us going <3 
> 
> Ooh! And next update miiight be a day delayed; I will be on a 24 hour plane trip, but I'll do my best!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wallachians were the natural enemy of Britannians, but the Britannians almost equally hated and feared the beastmen to the southeast. There were all sorts of rumors: they performed experiments on foreigners and their own kind, they ate flesh, they had poisons to make you wish you were dead. She had never believed them wholeheartedly… but then again, she never imagined the Wallachians actually drank blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the few hours' delay! I was experiencing a 24 hour flight day. yikes. thailand's pretty far from the us, y'all.

One late night, Alucard was woken from sleep by a furious pounding on his door and the faint calling of his name. “My lord? Alucard, you're needed in the throne room immediately!" Pip's voice came through the door, sounding unusually disturbed; Alucard drew his wings back from around he and Integra, disentangled his limbs from hers and sat up. "What in the blazes could be happening at… whatever time of night it is?" he growled aloud, blearily getting to his feet. "Integra, love, go back to sleep. I'll be back soon."

"Hmmm?" groaned Integra, also awoken by the knocking. She pouted as Alucard drew back his wings and let her go, but sat up immediately and moved to pull on her slip and a heavy robe, tying it tightly in front of her. "Are you joking? I'm coming with you, and you're putting on this robe." She moved to grab it and put it around his shoulders.

Alucard briefly considered telling his wife that she should rest instead, but figured it was more trouble that it was worth and gave a grunt of thanks as she placed a robe around his shoulders. "One moment, Pip, we're coming out." He tugged on a loose pair of trousers and tied the robe loosely around his waist before heading to the door.

Pip stood before him, looking exhausted but strangely unnerved. "There's a beastman—a Rhinelander here. He just appeared in the throne room—just—sitting on the throne, right in front of our eyes, and said he'd only speak to the royal family about something important." He explained, glancing between Integra and Alucard. "I've already woken the rest of the royal family. Will you come?”

At the mention of a Rhinelander in her general vicinity, Integra stiffened. Wallachians were the natural enemy of Britannians, but her people almost equally hated and feared the beastmen to the southeast. There were all sorts of rumors: they performed experiments on foreigners and their own kind, they ate flesh, they had poisons to make you wish you were dead. She had never believed them wholeheartedly… but then again, she never imagined the Wallachians actually drank blood.

Alucard, similarly, had his reservations about the Rhinelanders. They were a powerful nation, useful trade partners during the war with Britannia and the more religious Regenerators from Il Vaticano, and incredibly technologically advanced. But it troubled him how rarely of them ever came out of their nation to do business. Once in his childhood, the prince remembered a beastman—one of the 'rabbitfolk', it called itself—had escaped to Wallachia, one ear torn clean off and a foot mangled at the knee with bite marks. It pleaded to his parents for refuge, but within the day two soldiers from Rhineland had appeared and, not willing to slight them, his parents had given the rabbit up.

The image stuck with Alucard in his perception of Rhineland, and caused a great deal of unrest inside him knowing that his beloved older brother had been sent for a long-term diplomatic mission there. 

At present he nodded, eyebrows furrowing as he began to follow Pip to the throne room. "I have a bad feeling about this,” he told Integra under his breath. When they reached the throne room doors, he turned to Pip. "Did he say anything about Mircea?"

Pip shook his head, gripping the pommel of his sword. Frowning deeper, Alucard pushed open the doors and stepped inside to see his family and a few major nobles already gathered, their expressions ranging from grumpy at being woken up—Radu—to deeply concerned—the Queen. Alucard flared one wing and wrapped it around Integra's shoulders when he set eyes on the creature in the centre of the room; neither man nor beast, the Rhinelander appeared to be an abomination of a young boy and a cat mixed together, with creamy yellow and black fur pulled taut over a human frame, complete with ears and a tail. He was dressed in a strange green outfit, like a pageboy's but also like a military uniform, and had a very large bag strapped to his back. The very sight of him made Alucard feel nauseous.

Seras was having an uncomfortable encounter with the cat-boy, who cheerily greeted her in his mother-tongue until she reluctantly greeted him back. When Integra followed Alucard into the room, the boy’s attention was diverted and Seras gratefully mumbled an excuse to the Rhinelander before dashing to Pip's side.

The boy's eyes lit up when he saw Alucard come in, briefly shifting his gaze to Integra with interest before looking back at the war general. "We are all here! Excellent," he said happily, sinking into a gallant bow. "I am charmed to meet you all. I am Warrant Officer Schrödinger, of Major Krieg's mighty Rhinelandian army. The Major sends his most happy regards; he wants me to communicate with you all that this truce has been incredibly fruitful on both sides, and that he is unendingly grateful."

Alucard was still on guard; when Schrödinger introduced himself, he gave little more than a grunt of reply while Pip put a wing around Seras, whispering to her about what had happened. 

The King and Queen exchanged a quick glance of surprise before the King spoke. “Warrant Officer, it is a pleasure to receive you here in Wallachia; We are most pleased to hear that the agreement between Ourself and The Major has been beneficial to Rhineland,” he replied with a respectful nod of his head, his wings spread wide to display how wary he was of the situation. "We hope that Our son Mircea and his wife have been behaving themselves in the Major's court and offering his assistance as needed."

"Indeed, it is Our great pleasure to hold an esteemed member of the Major's army in our home. However, We must ask; what, pray tell, is the purpose of your visit to our lands?" The Queen added, her voice slightly sharper and less diplomatic than her husband's; her wings gave an irritable beat and rose—distrust, plain as day.

"Thank you, you are all so kind," Schrödinger said, with a fitting catlike smile appearing at the mention of Mircea and his wife. "You have nothing to worry about, Your Majesty; you've raised a fine son." At the Queen's harsher question, he blinked, his ears wiggling. "Ah, right to business, then? Very good. The Major adds this, along to his unendingly grateful message: the truce is over." 

A hush fell over the Wallachian crowd.

The catboy shrugged casually at this reaction, putting his hands in his pockets. "Consider all of our kind and generous gifts rescinded, our friendship over. Oh! And one more thing," he added, turning to dig in the large bag he had brought with him. "Oh,  _ scheisse _ , give me a moment," he said sheepishly as he struggled to pull what was ever in the bag out of it.

Integra frowned as all the Wallachians began recovering from the shock and making noises of outrage. _This means war, I suppose._ _Why are they doing this so obviously?_

The King and Queen gave twin looks of shock at the casual dismissal of the truce Wallachia had forged for years with the Rhinelanders. The King blustered for a moment before gathering his thoughts. "What the devil do you mean, 'the truce is over'? Do you intend to wage war against Us?! We demand an explanation for such nonsense!" He barked, wings flaring with anger.

"Speak, cat," The Queen was glaring daggers at the cat-Rhinelander, her hands clenched into fists. But she knew that something far more sinister than a declaration of war was to come.

Alucard gritted his teeth at the mention of an oncoming war, but tensed further when Schrödinger turned to the bag he had brought with him.  _ What could that possibly be? Something to destroy the royal family in one go? Is that why he gathered us all here? Cowardly bastard... _ He thought, taking a step in front of Integra with his dark wings spread wide, just in case.  _ Why didn't Rhineland just attack us head-on? _

Meanwhile, Integra was still lost in thought.  _ Why not sneak up on Wallachia and try to conquer it overnight?  _ Then, she realized:  _ Because they're not being clever. They're being cruel. What's in that bag... _

Schrödinger grinned savagely as he managed to pull the drawstring loose. This was the part he had been looking forward to. "Vladislav," he said, his clear high voice carrying over the Wallachian's noises of outrage. If they were outraged now, they would be mad with anger in a moment. Wallachians were so... emotional. 

"The Major especially wishes you congratulations. Congratulations, he says, on your new promotion to Crown Prince!" And with that, he pulled out a grand pair of beautiful crimson wings and chucked them unceremoniously on the ground in front of him. "Till we meet on the great battlefield,  _ auf wiedersehen _ !" he crowed, before vanishing altogether. It was as if he had never been there. 

Integra had never met Mircea, but she immediately knew whose wings were on the ground. Beautiful and, from the ragged stems, brutally ripped from their owner, those were Mircea's wings alright. The beloved heir to the throne. She looked at Alucard in horror, almost afraid of his reaction.

The royal family could only stare in horror. To take a Wallachian's wings was worse than even taking their head—it was a sick trophy and a desecration of what tied them to their deities. All of the people in the room were too struck with utter despair to react, until the Queen—normally so stoic and austere—gave a quiet, choked sob and buried her head in her hands. 

"He said in his latest letter that they had been admiring his wings...oh, gods..." Radu choked out, looking as if he was about to be sick.

"Gods, no… no, no no…" The King croaked as the implications of what had happened to Mircea set in; the thought was too horrid to comprehend. "Find that boy!! Find him and bring him to me—he can't be far!! I want to hear him choke on his own blood while I hang him with his own entrails!!" he bellowed, ordering the soldiers to search the castle grounds.

Alucard took a few shaking steps forward before crashing to his knees, drawing the bloodied wings into his lap with a pained whisper of his brother's name. Hunched over the wings, the new heir to the throne's shoulders trembled with emotion—grief, disgust, fury, too bundled up in his head to make sense of anything else other than that all of Rhineland will burn for this. He clutched the feathers to his face, a low growl escaping him till he was roaring out his anger through his tears at such an injustice to his beloved brother. He slammed his fist into the marble floors, cracking it under the force of his blow.

"Oh, God," Integra murmured, walking forward to kneel alongside her husband, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Alucard..." She didn't want to speak yet; she wanted to give him the chance to grieve. Yet, she also wanted to make sure he knew that she was there for him.

Alucard roared until his throat was hoarse, slamming his fist into the ground again and again. He didn't seem to care, but broke down into sobs of agony once Integra placed her hand on his shoulder. “Kill… every last one of them..." he rasped through his tears, pressing the bloodied wings to his chest. "I'm going to… wipe them out… they'll pay for this, they'll pay, I’ll... I'll paint the fields red with their… their filthy…" He broke down into bitter tears again, his wings hunched to his back as if to hide his grief from the room. "Gods, this can't be happening… big brother…"

Alucard's rage did not scare Integra at all; her heart bled for him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging his back. "You'll make them pay," she murmured, her voice savage. "I will help you. We'll make them suffer. We'll cause them pain they've never imagined, not even in their wildest dreams." 

Alucard trembled in Integra's embrace, gasping with the force of his sobs and occasional growls of pain. He squeezed his eyes shut, folding a wing over Integra in a gesture of trust, inviting her to see his vulnerability.

Integra took Alucard's invitation in enthusiastically, embracing his waist and brushing kisses all over his face, jaw, and neck. She reached up to stroke the outer edges of his wings in a comforting gesture, having learned where to touch in her time with him. “We’ll make them suffer,” she repeated. 

Alucard nodded. ”We’ll make them suffer… pain they've never imagined..." he repeated brokenly, drawing in a deep, shuddering breath. "Integra, I need… I need to call my troops now… to march on Rhineland. As soon as possible,” he mumbled, his eyes staring blankly down at the wings in his lap as his sense of duty took over when his mind couldn't handle any more grief. "I need to be… the general in wartime.”

"Call your troops," Integra said softly. "And I'm coming with you. I'm going to be beside you every step of the way." 

Alucard rested his head against Integra's shoulder, immensely grateful for his wife's affectionate support but unable to speak without breaking down into tears again; instead he used one wing to return her embrace in silent thanks. He stroked Mircea's disembodied feathers in his lap for a long moment until he finally took in another steadying breath and stood, his wing still around Integra's shoulders as she stood alongside him. Her presence was the only thing preventing him from collapsing into a heap of useless grief.

"If they want a war, we'll give it to them—a bloody war the likes of which those bastards have never seen before,” he announced, his voice startlingly clear over the weeping and chaos around him. "I'm going to mobilize my troops and we'll move out in two days' time. Every beastman in my path will be nothing more than scraps of flesh, skewered on sticks like the useless slabs of meat they are. Integra," He turned to his wife with a wild look in his eyes. "I'll have the blacksmith bring your armor. You'll ride at my side as my lieutenant.”

Integra watched her mate’s speech with fierce pride, having no doubt in her mind that he meant every word he said. "Yes," she hissed, grabbing his face to kiss him once. "I will be honored." 

 

* * *

 

"Oh, Major, that was no fun!" said Schrödinger, now happily perched on the war table of the Rhineland castle. "You sent me with such a beautiful little token of our broken truce, and ordered me to leave before I could see the effects!" He pouted for a moment, before shrugging. "Then again, I suppose they would have ripped me apart, wouldn't they?" He chuckled, looking for the approval of his beloved leader.

The Major straightened from inspecting the plans on the war table's screen with an approving snuffle, his snout's nostrils flaring as he took in the scent of Wallachia from the air. "Ah, Warrant Officer Schrödinger! How quickly you completed your task!" he greeted, sitting back into his chair with a grin. 

Schrödinger preened, stroking his tail in flushed pleasure at his leader's praise. "Oh, it was nothing," he simpered.

"Yes, yes,” the Major continued, “I would have let you see it through, but those Wallachian, they would've tore you limb from limb, wouldn't they? There is no teleporting out of a pickle like that! No, no, I should think not!" He chortled, folding his clawed hands over his portly stomach.

Schrödinger laughed at the thought. "I would have been mincemeat!" he agreed gleefully.

The Major’s spectacles glinted in the dim light. "No matter. I can practically taste their rage from here and it is dee-licious! Thank you for running that little errand, Schrödinger. There's a nice fat little pigeon girl waiting for you in Prison Sector Sector 3; a reward for a job well done." He tapped at the screen before him, minimizing the map of the castle.

Schrödinger perked up even further with his ears wiggling in interest, at the mention of the pigeon girl. " _ Wunderbar _ ! You're so kind, Major, thank you!" He licked his lips at the thought of the feathers that he could use to get the gristle from her muscles out of his teeth.

As the catboy made to leave, the Major looked up. "Did you happen to see the Britannian girl, by any chance?” he said suddenly

Schrödinger stopped in his tracks, turning around to look up at the Major in confusion. "The Britannian girl? You mean, the princess?  _ Ja _ , I saw her. What about it?"

The Major chuckled, settling into his seat; it creaked under the weight of his sheer size and heavy cybernetics. "So she still lives, does she? How inconvenient." He tapped his claws on his belt, considering his next course of action with a smile on his snout. "Did you happen to catch how well she got on with the Wallachians—more importantly, her husband? I trust they were not close?"

Schrödinger hummed in thought; trying to remember where exactly the Britannian was when he was there. He was more focused on the anguished faces of the royal family than anything else. "Well, she was standing awfully close to him. He had his wing around her. To me, they appeared to be close. Surprising, I suppose. Perhaps it was an act, to show unity for the sake of my presence?"

The Major folded his meaty, clawed hands in his lap as he considered Schrödinger's report. "Hm. Unfortunate, but without a child or something equally as important between them, the Britannians will never concede to unite with the Wallachians against us..." He murmured to himself, stroking his bristly chin; his smug smirk never left his lips.

"Oh, _ ja _ , and I can't even imagine those two making it fit, let alone actually producing a child!" said Schrödinger crudely. He snickered. "The poor thing had her wings hidden under a robe... I imagine binding them is difficult there."

The Major looked up to meet Schrödinger's eyes with a grin. "Poor thing, indeed! To bare one's wings is so barbaric, especially when they're so delicious when cooked in Dok's sweet-and-sour sauce! Why display them, as if tempting us to take a bite? It's like watching a roast dinner dance in front of a starving beast!" He chortled, taking the single crimson feather he had tucked into his breast pocket, spinning it around between his fingers. "Ja, how could they not know I'd want a taste for myself? Silly birds."

Schrödinger grinned and licked his lips at the thought. "It is such a shame that we had to give away the tastiest part of Mircea…” he said reluctantly, before shrugging. “Oh, well. There will be plenty of other wings to eat. Right, Major?” 

“Right you are, my boy,” the Major said with a pleased nod, still spinning the feather. “Right you are.” 

 

* * *

 

"I'm nervous," Integra said softly, reaching for Alucard's hand. "What if they refuse?" 

It was not five hours later, and she and Alucard had quickly ridden to Britannia on horseback. She had requested a room to change, and managed with Seras's help to slip into her old Britannian garb again, bound wings at all. What once seemed so natural to her seemed somewhat uncomfortable now, and her wings twitched in search of freedom as she and Alucard stood in the waiting room outside the Council of Twelve.

Alucard looked much more uncomfortable, as he had also determined it best to pull back, bind, and hide his wings under a heavy cloak while dressed in the most conservative outfit he could find on short notice, though his wings still twitched irritably as he paced around the Council's waiting room. He paused, however, to take Integra’s hand and kiss her knuckles. 

"They won't refuse. You'll make them see reason,” he assured her, resting his lips against her hand. "But if they won't see reason, I'm certain I could make them see fear." Pausing, he glanced up to meet his wife's eyes, concerned. "How are you feeling? It was snowing pretty heavily when we left and those clothes of yours don't seem warm."

"It's warmer here," Integra pointed out, smiling as he kissed her hand. The Britannian palace had plenty of fireplaces, all with roaring fires crackling away. "I've also grown a bit more used to the cold," she reassured him. "I'm fine." 

"That's true..." Alucard mumbled in reply, his wings still shuffling with concern for her under his cloak and bindings.

Integra sighed, looking at the clock. "This shouldn't take long, and then we can be on the way to Rhineland." 

After about ten more minutes she and Alucard were finally called in, and she squeezed his hand in determination not to let it drop. She wanted to show the Council how united they were. "Are you ready?" she asked him, kissing him on the lips once.

Alucard glanced over to the entryway into the council room and frowned, his eyebrows furrowing as he squeezed Integra's hand in return. He turned back to her with a nod, accepting her kiss with a quiet purr and placing a kiss on her forehead when he drew up to his full height. "Yes, I'm ready. Let's hope your people are good at mobilizing their army on short notice,” he said as they walked hand-in-hand into the council room. 

A murmur of disturbance and agitation rose up in the room when the married couple stepped in; there hadn't been a Wallachian in their midst for a great many years. The sight of Alucard, hand in hand with their beloved princess, was nothing short of horrific to the councilmen. 

"Order," called the Queen in her calm, clear voice from the raised chair in the center of the grand room. "Princess Integra, Prince Vladislav...step forward and take your seats. We have heard of grave news regarding Wallachia and the beastmen to their West; I would know what has occurred, and why you have come to us on the matter."

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Integra, immediately stepping forward and finally dropping Alucard's hand to clasp her own together. She cleared her throat before beginning. "The Wallachians have... well, it would be a lie to say they were always nothing but kind to me. There was a good deal of resistance at the beginning. A few hiccoughs. My husband was not pleased to be wed to me, but of course I felt similarly. Who could blame any of us? Wallachians and Britannians have heard only horrible things about each other for centuries. But over time, I lost my prejudice towards my husband, and he lost his towards me." She smiled at Alucard fondly. "We are in love. I know it sounds bizarre, but I love him. And he loves me." 

She paused, taking in the confused and disgusted reactions of the Council of Twelve. "You may think what you like, but I am beyond grateful to have met my husband. He saved me from a grave illness, saved my life. He has protected me. I want to return the favor." She looked grave now, the smile slipping from her face. "The Rhinelanders have declared war on the Wallachians, ending a nearly 50 year truce. They did so in the most barbaric way possible; killing the beloved Wallachian crown prince, Prince Mircea, and throwing his severed wings at the feet of the royal family. 

“The Rhinelanders are bestial; but they are also highly intelligent and very well armed. I fear that if it were to be a fight between them and Wallachia, Wallachia would suffer greatly no matter what the outcome of the battle would be. This is the true test of the tie you have made between Britannia and Wallachia; the Rhinelanders are now both of our enemies. What better way to show our support then lending our army to their cause? Please consider, Your Majesty, our Britannian honor." With that, she stepped back and waited nervously for her Queen's response.

Alucard watched with adoring admiration as his wife made her case to the Council of Twelve; he knew for a fact that she was intelligent, capable, and battle-worthy, but watching her rhetorical skills in action was truly nothing short awe-inspiring. He took her hand and squeezed it the moment she sat down, hoping his eyes would convey how proud he was of her before he looked back to the Council.

The councilmen turned inward to confer with one another, their voices merging together as they mumbled amongst themselves, trying to attempt to sway the Queen to their point of view in the meantime: "What's to stop the beastmen from conquering us without Wallachia in their way… we shouldn't waste resources on those heathens… shall we contact Il Vaticano… who's to say that  _ they _ wouldn't turn on us after defeating Rhineland… Could conquer Il Vaticano together… Stronger united, I say…”

After five minutes, the Queen tapped her sceptre on the ground twice, calling for silence; she had made her decision.

"Princess Integra...we have considered your words and we are sympathetic to Wallachia's plight; the murder of the Wallachian crown prince by the Rhinelanders is an upset of the balance of power this continent has maintained for decades. Rhineland has grown strong in its self-imposed exile, and their power is likely beyond the might of Wallachia on its own. Your words are true: with your union to the new crown prince, Princess Integra, it is more important than ever that we strengthen the tie we have made between two great nations. 

“However," she paused, glancing around the room, "I have heard the worries of the Council; should we aid Wallachia in this war, what is to prevent our winged brethren to the East from taking advantage of our weakened state afterward, should Wallachia absorb the Rhineland state? I believe you when you say you and your husband are in love, but the Council requests a more permanent tie, a preventative measure in case of further conflict. We believe the solution to be an heir to both thrones. We request an heir, or heirs, to bring the kingdoms together at the conclusion of the war."

The Council and Alucard were stunned into silence. The Queen turned her icy blue eyes, the same eyes of her granddaughter, on Alucard and Integra. "Would this be amenable to you both?"

Integra had listened to her Queen speak in relief, but not surprise; she knew her grandmother would see things her way. However, the end of the speech shocked her; she turned to look at Alucard in panic, for a moment. She tilted her head in a question to him. She was willing to agree to the Queen's terms in order to help Alucard, but she wanted to make sure that he was willing as well. She had never thought of having children before, but it didn't matter. At the very least, she would be having children with Alucard.

Alucard was similarly shocked; he hadn't had the faintest hope of receiving Britannian aid in the first place, but what had really surprised him was the simple terms of the alliance: a child, or children, with both Britannian and Wallachian blood to bring the kingdoms together.  _ More importantly, a child with Integra _ , he thought, a warmth rising in his chest at the idea as he turned to meet his wife's eyes. She looked panicked, but he could see her intent in her expression—she wanted to agree in order to help him. He squeezed her hand back, nodding own agreement to the terms, but questioning;  _ I want this—but are you sure _ ?.

Integra nodded back at him. It wouldn't be an issue for a while, anyway—she had no idea how long the battle with the Rhinelanders would last. "That is a fair point, Your Majesty," she said, turning back to the Queen. "Prince Vladislav and I agree to your terms. We will provide at least one heir for the throne, after the conclusion of the fight against the Rhinelanders. We can't thank you enough for your support."

"A thousand thanks, Your Majesty. Wallachia is grateful for your assistance." Alucard added in clear Breton, nodding in deference to the Queen and Council. He never thought he'd be thanking a Britannian—least of all thanking the Britannian Queen for aiding him in a war. "We are in your debt."

The Queen inclined her head and smiled just slightly, acknowledging the thanks of Integra and her husband. "I am pleased to see the alliance between Wallachia and Britannia become fruitful. You will have your troops in due time; they must be informed and organized first. Rhineland will fall under our combined might. But I warn you, Prince Vladislav," she added, her voice becoming grave, "Should my granddaughter be killed, in battle, by foul play, or otherwise, the alliance we have forged is null and void. Do I make myself clear?"

Alucard's scarlet eyes narrowed and he clutched Integra's hand tightly, taking offense at the implication that he would allow such a thing to happen; he would not allow another loved one die if he could prevent it. "Your Majesty, Princess Integra is a capable woman—more than proficient in protecting herself—but I would gladly give my own life in her stead. I will see no harm come to her. You have my word."

The Council murmured amongst themselves at this.

Integra smiled in relief, squeezing Alucard's hand again as she flushed with happiness at his admittedly overprotective but sweet statement. Though his line about choosing her life over his made her frown—there was no way she would allow him to do that.

When the meeting was over—after many lengthy discussions of logistics, manpower, and trade—she and Alucard walked out holding hands. "See?" she murmured, stealing a kiss on the cheek when they where out of the room and basically alone. "I told you I could convince her."

Alucard grinned with relief as soon as they left the meeting room, taking Integra's face in his hands and kissing her deeply. "Integra, you were incredible! Remind me to let you do the talking in the postwar negotiations." He praised, kissing her again with a hidden but pleased flap of his wings that only ruffled the fur of his cloak. A passing councilman gave a scandalized gasp, which Alucard ignored. "I mean that. You're one hell of a politician—far better than I could ever be."

Integra smiled into his kiss, pleased with his praise. "It was nothing," she said. "I just wanted to make her see our side." She looked up in embarrassment at the passing councilman, before she was distracted by the way Alucard was nuzzling her cheek

Alucard drew back and held her hands in his. “Now... do you want to ride back to Wallachia, stay the night here in Britannia, or travel back midway and find an inn?” he asked. “It’s late and the weather is bound to be bitter cold at this time of night."

Integra thought for a moment. "We should rest here, if that's alright with you,” she decided finally. “We should stay healthy as much as possible; I don't want to have another bout of Red Death before I have to go gut some beastmen." She said that last part flippantly.

Alucard huffed, torn between amusement and offense at Integra's casual mention of her near-death experience; she was so blasé about it that it was hard not to laugh. "Don't joke about that," He sighed, bringing her hands up to kiss her knuckles. He gave them a squeeze, looking down into her eyes. "But you're right; we shouldn't ride into bad weather with a battle so close on the horizon. We'll need to be at peak health to take on Rhineland.”

Integra nodded in agreement as she began to look around the hallway they were in. "It's so strange... being here again,” she said, almost dreamily. “I wouldn't mind some time to take it in."

Alucard followed her gaze, looking around the building with interest. He had never been in a Britannian building aside from the church; he had only burned them to the ground when he was on the warpath. "Where will we stay the night? I have enough coin on me for a room in an inn if your family won't allow me onto castle grounds."

Integra shook her head with a frown. ”Don't be silly, Alucard; of course they will allow you onto castle grounds. I believe they've given me my old room; my bed will be big enough for both of us." She said this without looking at him, for fear of giving away her thoughts; for some reason, she had a strong desire for them to make love in her childhood room.

A grin slowly made its way onto Alucard's lips as Integra mentioned her bed and looked away with a certain look in her eyes that he had grown incredibly fond of in recent months. "Mmm, sounds cozy,” he murmured playfully as he nuzzled her hair and gave her hand a little tug, encouraging her to lead the way. He wanted to unbind his wing so he could put it around her, but was conscientious about the Britannians' delicate sensibilities. No need to make a scene after gaining their help; a social faux pas was the last thing they needed. He settled for offering his arm, smiling warmly down at his wife. "I'm curious to see where you grew up, what style your room is decorated in… that, and my wings are cramped to hell."

Integra flushed at his tone, knowing that he knew what she was thinking. "Cozy, hmm?" she said dryly, before turning to lead him through the castle, up to her room. "Well, it is quite a large room, very nicely decorated... you'll see," she said.

When they got to her room, she opened the door and beckoned him in. The room was done in soft lavender and white, the walls a delicate Victorian wallpaper and the bed a grand four-poster canopy. "Here it is.”

Alucard whistled as he walked in, impressed by the room’s size and tasteful decor. "Wow. Very nice..." he mused, running his hand along the top of an armoire. Everything looked so delicate, almost doll-like to the Wallachian.

"I'm glad you like it," said Integra, watching him as he explored her room. It was so strange having her husband, the Wallachian man she had made love to, in her childhood room. A young Integra would be screaming if she had known, and not in an excited way. 

Funny how things worked out. 

"I do like it, very much," Alucard replied honestly; it was the exact antithesis to his own room, full of furs, cold stone, and rough quilts, but he liked it all the same. He wondered what Integra was like when she was little, but found he couldn't picture it. Instead, he turned to his fully-grown, beautiful Integra and grinned suggestively, leaning back against a dresser. "I particularly like the size of the bed. Looks it can fit you and me both."

Integra huffed at his comment, turning away so he wouldn't see her flustered face. 

Alucard was going to tease her further but paused, wincing as his wings gave an irritable cramp. "Damn. Can you help me unbind my wings now, or do I have to be tame for more Britannian company later tonight?"

"Oh, you will certainly have to be tame for Britannian company," Integra said, then suddenly covering her mouth for a yawn. "But we got no sleep last night... I'd like to sleep for a while. We can unbind." She walked over to him, undoing his shawl and starting to unbind him, her practiced hands doing it quickly.

Alucard groaned with almost erotic relief when he was being freed. As soon as she finished, he stretched his wings out to their full span, joints cracking. "Ah gods...thank you, Integra. I was beginning to think they were going to cramp up and fall off. I have no idea how everyone does it here all day."

Integra eyed his wings happily as they were released, appreciating the groan he gave. She really did love them, how black and glossy they were. "You're welcome. And don't be silly; like I said, it's something you get used to. Though I have to admit, it is hard now, knowing how good they feel when they're free..."

“They feel  _ amazing  _ when they’re free,” Alucard agreed. After giving them a tentative flap, he went to Integra's back and started unbinding her wings as well, though at a slower pace. He began to groom her as he did, nuzzling at her hair. "Did I already say how proud I was of you today? If I did, it still bears repeating."

Integra sighed in relief, letting out little noises of pleasure at the stimulation on her wings as they were freed. Despite all the time that had gone by and all the times Alucard had touched her, her wings were still incredibly sensitive; perhaps they would always be that way. "You... you did. I don't mind hearing it again, though," she managed through her heavy breaths.

Alucard hummed in agreement, sweeping her hair over her shoulder while he massaged her wings. “Mmhm... I'm very proud… so proud of my intelligent," he kissed her neck, "beautiful," he kissed her again on her neck, lower, "incredible wife." Smoothing her wings back into order, he nuzzled against her throat. 

Integra let out a breathy moan as Alucard continued to pamper her, every kiss on her neck heating her up just a little bit more. "I think my grandmother likes you, by the way," she managed, trying to change the subject a bit.

Alucard pulled back from Integra’s throat in surprise. “You think so? She's a very admirable woman… like you, in a lot of ways. There's a strong family resemblance.”

Integra smiled. She liked to think she took after the Queen; she very much admired the woman as well, and she had since she was little. “That’s very kind of you.”

“I didn't think she'd like any monster who carried off her dear granddaughter, though,” Alucard continued.

Integra shrugged. “The marriage was her idea after all,” she pointed out. “If it hadn't been for her, I would have married some Britannian like I always thought I would." 

“True,” Alucard conceded. "I should thank your grandmother sometime, then. For coming up with the idea to bring us together." He paused, thinking about the Queen's terms. "I suppose she couldn't hate me too much if she wants me to give her a great-grandchild."

The reminder of what she had agreed to made Integra bite her lip. “About that… I’m sorry for speaking for the both of us there,” she said sheepishly. “I knew it would be the only way to convince her to help us."

Alucard drew back a little and turned to face his wife, who suddenly sounded so hesitant. "Integra, her terms were more than amenable to me,” he said genuinely. “A child with you? I hadn't considered it before she brought it up, but when I thought about it, I couldn't ask for anything I'd want more." Pausing, he brushed his palm gently over one of her wings.

"You mean... you  _ want _ me to have your children?" said Integra, looking up at him in surprise. "I... I thought you'd find it distasteful, having a child that was both Wallachian and Britannian. I know you love me, but I also know you still hate my people." 

Alucard shook his head, reaching out to cup her cheek. "I might've hated the idea a couple months ago, but now...they'd be yours. I'd love them even if they were of full Britannian blood, so long as they were yours,” he assured her, eyebrows a little furrowed. "But I don't know how you feel about it. You never mentioned even liking children, and it wouldn't be me who bore them."

Integra sighed, mulling over the idea in her head. "Children are... fine. They're loud and smelly.”

Alucard huffed out a quiet laugh at her explanation. "I can understand that. Children are a big commitment, that's for certain. But you'll be an excellent mother, Integra." 

Integra smiled sheepishly. "I doubt that; I have a feeling I'm going to be quite the nervous wreck."

"You will, but so will I. I hope you're prepared for me being an overprotective, smothering ball of nerves." Alucard chuckled, nuzzling Integra's hair adoringly at the thought of her carrying their child. Then a thought occurred to him and he drew in a deep breath. “If... if you really don't want to, we could adopt,” he said reluctantly.

Integra shook her head. “Pregnancy does scare me, but we can't adopt; I'm sure Her Majesty is requesting children of our own flesh and blood. I can't promise that I'll be enthusiastic, but I'll do it. And I'm sure I will love them, if they're yours."

Alucard nodded, pleased at her words. But when he considered them further as he leaned in to kiss her, his mood darkened and he pulled back. "I can't imagine a lot of people are going to be fond of the idea of a half-breed child… there'll probably more attempts on their life than my own as a boy. But no one will lay one finger on you or our child, you can be assured of that, Integra." The prince mumbled darkly, his wings giving an irritable flap; his proverbial hackles rose even at the thought.

Integra frowned as well at the thought of her child being attacked simply because of their blood, as well as the idea of Alucard being attacked when he was young. "Who attempted to kill you?" she growled, her own wings flapping.

Alucard gave a helpless shrug. "The Tepes family tends to make a lot of enemies, even if we are generally well-liked. One got close enough that he almost… succeeded. But I lost count after the twenty-third assassination attempt. Mircea had it worse, though, being the crown prince…" He trailed off, shaking his head with a pained expression; Mircea had ended up much worse than being simply assassinated. "Ah. It doesn't matter now; there hasn't been an attempt on my life in years. And the Queen requested a child at the conclusion of the war, which could be years upon years for all we know, so...it's no use worrying about it now, right?" He forced a smile, touching her cheek. "We should rest before we need to go back into civilized society."

Integra’s wings flapped a little harder and her teeth bared a bit at the thought of Alucard and his brother suffering so much. She saw that Alucard's smile was forced, and it infuriated her. She grabbed his face and pulled him in to kiss him fiercely, the only way she could communicate her support.

Alucard made a quiet noise of appreciation; he immediately understood her meaning, her desire to support him through the passion of her touch, and smiled reassuringly into the kiss—really, the way she expressed herself was too endearing. 

After a long moment, Integra pulled back and nodded. "We should rest." She made her way to the bed, pulling back the covers.

Alucard hummed, smiling lovingly at her as she went to the bed. "Did I already mention how much I like your bed?" he chuckled, settling down onto it. His eyebrows rose at the soft, smooth fabric of her blankets, so different from the furs and quilts on his own bed. Leaning down, he pressed a long kiss onto the mark on his wife’s neck through the high collar of her dress. "How long can we sleep till we're expected to be people again?"

Integra shivered as he kissed the mark on her neck, but was getting too sleepy to do anything about it. "Oh, I'd say about two hours," she replied, squirming to make herself comfortable.

Alucard shuffled under the thin covers before he was spooned up against Integra, holding her tightly to his chest, and put one heavy, dark wing over both of them to keep them warm. "Mm, sounds heavenly..." he mumbled, already feeling drowsy with the combination of Integra's warm body against him and the softness of the mattress. Nuzzling into her hair, he gave a deep sigh as he began to drift off. "Don't worry, Integra..." However, before he could finish his thought, he had fallen asleep.

As soon as Alucard wrapped Integra in his arm and wing, she felt herself get comfortable and drift off as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave comments on either here or our tumblrs! comments keep us going!!!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Walter stood with a beaming smile the moment he saw her, reaching out to pull her into a hug. "My lady," he murmured. "It's so good to see you again."

Two hours later, there was a knock at the door, startling Alucard awake; he had to take a long moment to figure out where he was, but once he  remembered he was in Britannia, he dropped back into the pillows with a sigh. "Integra..." he whined, squeezing her waist, "do we have to attend this dinner...?"

The knock at the door didn't startle Integra like it did Alucard, but she mumbled something and looked up. "Yes," she said firmly to Alucard. "We do." She stood up and headed to the mirror, cursing at how disheveled she looked. "I need to re-do my hair..." She took the pins out, working the long blonde locks until they were up and styled again.

Alucard sat up with a sleepy groan, stretching his arms and wings above his head before sitting on the side of the bed, watching Integra sit and style her hair; it was such a shame to see those beautiful white-gold locks pulled away like her wings. With a sigh, he got up and brushed his clothes back into order before tying his hair back in a bun, though some curls fell out almost immediately. "Hmph...can't wait to have to tie my wings back for an entire dinner..." He groused under his breath, crossing to Integra to help her with her bindings, though he kissed the tops of her wings before he began.

Integra saw Alucard looming over her in the mirror and couldn't hold in a chuckle; his hair truly was untamable. She would try and fix it, but it would be a fruitless task. "Believe me, I'm not looking forward to it either," she said, wincing as he bound her wings again. "I think they've gotten bigger, or is that my imagination?"

 Alucard hummed with thought, considering her wings in his hands and grinned excitedly when he found her to be correct; her wings had gained a decent amount of muscle and thicker, shinier feathers, most likely from being unbound and exercised regularly. "It's not just your imagination; I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years, keeping them free and exercised, you'd be able to fly without a problem. They're too gorgeous not to use." He kissed the silvery-white feathers in his palm adoringly. 

"Fly?" said Integra nervously, through her soft noises of arousal. She was relatively afraid of heights. "I... I can't hold a conversation with you when you're touching them, idiot..." She bit back her arousal, shaking her head.

 “Sorry, beloved,” Alucard said quickly, but he couldn't help smoothing his thumb over one more stray feather. ”Who do you suppose will be there?” he said offhandedly.

 Integra’s eyes lit up. "Walter," she said. "Walter's a butler here, but after my parents died he practically raised me. He's a good man, and a little bit of a wild card; I think you'll like him."

It gave Alucard great joy to see Integra's pleased expression. "I look forward to meeting the man who raised such an incredible woman. Shall we?"

 Integra nodded. ”Give me a moment to collect myself. Then we can go."

 

* * *

 

The dinner was being held in the great hall of the Britannian castle. It couldn't have looked more different than the Wallachian dinner Integra had first attended; everyone was seated in high backed chairs and there was a large assortment of silverware. As Integra and Alucard walked in, there was a brief lull in conversation before it picked up again; but everyone was still fairly quiet overall.

 After a deep breath to calm himself, Alucard stepped into the great hall along with Integra with confidence, wishing he could flare his wings wide to announce his presence as a prince—but settled instead for a slight raise of his chin as he began to walk to his seat. There were two chairs left over at the table, right next to the Queen. 

Integra saw Walter seated next to her designated spot and smiled widely, quickly walking towards him for a hug.

Walter stood with a beaming smile the moment he saw her, reaching out to pull her into a hug. "My lady," he murmured. "It's so good to see you again."

 "It's been too long," Integra replied.

Alucard stopped in his tracks when his eyes fell upon the worn face of a man who he had thought dead, or at the very least someone he would never see again. 'The Angel of Death', the Wallachians had called him, for the sheer amount of their forces he cut down the second he stepped onto the field. With almost lightning speed and deadly accuracy, Alucard had lost hundreds of soldiers to the man before him, embracing his wife as if they were old friends. Straightening his shoulders, Alucard went to Integra's side and placed a hand on the small of her back. "Fancy meeting you here." He greeted the Angel with a vicious grin. "It's been too long, hasn't it, Angel of Death?"

Integra pulled back from Walter's suddenly stiff embrace, looking up at Alucard in confusion. "What did you call him?" she said, looking back at the man who practically raised her. "Walter?"

"So you're Prince Vladislav?" said Walter, posture stick-straight as he eyed where Alucard was touching Integra. He had seen this man rip apart Britannians with his bare hands, and now he was putting those same hands on Integra Hellsing, the closest thing he had to a daughter. "I wasn't aware. On the battlefield, you barb- ah, Wallachians all look the same to me."

 "Walter!" said Integra in admonishment, before sighing. "I take it that the two of you have met under more unpleasant circumstances before?"

 Alucard's grin turned into more of a sneer, showing off his sizable fangs. He held Integra closer, putting his arm around her waist and rubbing her hip with his thumb. "I'd dignify that with a response but I wouldn't want to give you a heart attack with my profanity,” he replied, his tone light but his eyes full of malice. He huffed in dry amusement at Integra's question, not breaking his gaze with the elderly ex-soldier. "Quite. This one cut down scores of my troops...back in the day. How are you enjoying retirement, sir? I haven't seen you on the battlefield in what feels like decades."

"Alucard," Integra said, frowning as she was pulled further into her husband's embrace. "Don't cause a scene, remember where we are—"

"Oh, that's alright," said Walter, smile twisting as he tracked Alucard's hand. _Get your hands off our princess, you brute._ "Since we Britannians are so good at settling our conflicts, I have been very much enjoying my retirement. Clearly you Wallachians don't have that luxury, and now I suppose it's our friendly duty to help you, since you've so cruelly ensnared Princess Integra. That doesn't mean I couldn't still rip your head off your body if I wanted to." He bowed slightly—really just a jerk of his head—before walking back to his seat.

Alucard's grin widened, genuinely amused that anyone, much less an elderly person, was attempting to threaten him. "I'd like to see you try, old man,” he growled under his breath.

Integra groaned, glaring at Alucard as she pulled away from him. "That was embarrassing."

Alucard pouted at Integra's glare. "What? He started it!" he protested, giving an annoyed huff. "I can't believe the Angel of Death was your nanny... though I suppose it makes sense, in an odd way. It certainly explains how battle-ready you are..."

"He was not my nanny," said Integra in exasperation. "He... he helped raise me. That's all." Realizing she had just described a nanny, she huffed and took Alucard's hand, leading him towards their seats.

Alucard chuckled, sitting in the seat across from Integra. "Hmm... sounds like a nanny to me." Eyeing the high-backed seats, he frowned. "Do we sit up straight for the entire meal?" 

Integra nodded.”Yes, of course we do. It really is better for the digestion, you know." She moved to take her seat, sliding her chair in and giving Walter a warning look to keep silent, especially in front of the Queen. 

Alucard glanced at Walter with a mischievous grin, but turned to bow his head in respect to the Queen with a more suitable expression. "Your Majesty, I thank you for allowing me to join you and your court for dinner. It is an honor,” he said, trying to settle himself and his large, bound wings in the unusual chair. 

The Queen gave a look of amusement at Walter and Integra before inclining her chin in greeting to the Wallachian crown prince. "You are welcome. We are honored to have you dine with us." She smiled at Integra, placing her gloved hand on hers. "I could not resist the temptation to throw a banquet in honor of my granddaughter's return, even if it is only for a brief time." 

Integra smiled in slight surprise at her grandmother; the woman so very rarely showed any emotion to anyone. "How kind of you, Your Majesty," she said. "Hopefully there will be more banquets in the future; after the war, that is."

"I'm certain there will be," said Walter. "With our combined forces, especially the might of the Britannian army, those beastmen will stand no chance."

The Queen patted her granddaughter’s hand once before withdrawing it to her lap. "As Sir Walter said, I'm certain there will be plenty of banquets upon the Rhinelanders' defeat, and soon. The strength of Britannia and Wallachia together will overwhelm our foe in short time." She took a sip of her wine as the first course was set. "Though I do wish you would not go with the armies, Princess Integra. It simply isn't right...a woman on the battlefield." 

Alucard gave a quiet noise of affront at the idea; was the Queen senile? Barring women from the battlefield because of their gender? He glanced down curiously at the plate set before him before turning back to the Queen. "Your Highness, surely you jest. Integra is one of the most capable warriors in my troops."

"Vladislav, don't be hypocritical," Integra said, using his proper title in this public and formal setting. “I appreciate your defense of me, but it feels like yesterday that you were debating forbidding me from going into battle. A fruitless effort, by the way."

The Queen raised her eyebrows faintly at Integra's reaction. "Well, that would be his right as your husband, would it not?" she chided her granddaughter gently, placing her napkin on her lap. "Prince Vladislav, you would be wise to prevent her from going onto the field. My granddaughter is a capable woman, but not a battle-hardened soldier. She has been raised for political battles, not bloody ones." 

Alucard grit his teeth, biting back an angry retort in defense of his wife's prowess in combat. He took in a deep breath to calm himself, following the Queen's example by placing his napkin on his lap. "Excuse me, Your Majesty, but the only reason I would ask Integra that she not go into battle at my side is not because I think she's inexperienced—every great warrior has their first battle—but selfishly I want to keep her from harm, just as I would for any loved one. Not because she’s..." He glanced to Integra with a frown. "Never because she's a woman.”

Integra sighed. She did not miss this part of Britannian culture whatsoever. "You're correct, of course, Your Majesty," she said calmly. "It is his right. But Wallachians do have a different code, and I will be serving beside him in the Wallachian army. Therefore I have just as much right to be there as he does.”

"Well said," Walter said appreciatively, squeezing her shoulder. "Although I do wish you'd stay closer to the Britannian side of things. I worry about a Wallachian taking advantage of the chaos and attacking you." 

The Queen gave a quiet sigh. “I know it would be a fruitless endeavor to attempt to persuade you to do otherwise. You have always been an independent girl, making your own way in the world. But I must agree with Walter; it would be all too easy to be ambushed on the battlefield by your own troops. As you said earlier this evening, the Wallachians are not all as fond of you as your husband is. I cannot help but worry about your safety amongst such..." She paused, correcting herself. "Amongst men that may not accept you as their sovereign as fully as they should." 

Fisting his hands in his tunic beneath the table, Alucard fought to keep his temper. "Your Highness… and Walter. You may not be aware of this, but in Wallachian culture, a traitor to the throne receives the harshest punishment that exists in our legal system. No one would dare turn on my wife—not that I would give them the chance." He glanced between Walter and the Queen with a dark look in his eye. "Integra will be at my side at all times, leading our troops to victory. I can assure you, the only injuries that she might receive will be from beastmen soldiers. You have my word on that."

The Queen looked mildly satisfied at Alucard's reassurance, but still seemed wary of the idea of her granddaughter in battle. "If it is as you say, then I pray for the safety of you both. Now," She clapped her hands, drawing the attention of the great hall. She rose her glass. "I propose a toast; to my beloved granddaughter, Princess Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, and her husband, Prince Vladislav Tepes. May they bring their kingdoms glory on the battlefield this coming week." 

Integra smiled, raising her glass.

 

* * *

 

The banquet was a long and drawn out affair, one that even Integra with her years of Britannian experience got tired of by the time the evening was over. She felt immensely relieved to be walking out of the room and back to her own quarters with Alucard, reaching for his hand as they were in the respective privacy of the hallways. "I apologize for how excruciating I'm sure that was for you," she murmured. "You were... well, you were well-behaved for the majority of the night. And for that, I thank you."

 Alucard groaned with relief; by the end of the banquet he was debating offering his crown if those nobles would just shut up about wine tasting for one goddamn minute. He squeezed Integra's hand weakly and gave a quiet chuckle. "It was quite excruciating, but I'm glad I was up to par. I did try not to embarrass you too much, being your barbarian husband and all."

 "Don't be silly," Integra chided at his labeling of himself as a barbarian. "You're hardly barbaric. Truly, that insult is hardly applicable to you.”

Alucard kissed the top of her head in thanks, nuzzling his cheek against her hair. “Well, now… I wouldn't say I'm completely tame though, would you?" he purred as they walked. I have an idea to relax us both, hm?"

Integra flushed slightly, reaching her room and pulling him into it. "I would be open to such an idea, I suppose. If only for the sake of relaxing before bed," she added with a small smirk.

Alucard kicked the door shut behind them, smirking slyly before pulling Integra into a heated kiss. "Mmh, just to relax before bed, of course...wouldn't want you to be tense on the eve of battle." He chuckled, rutting his hips against hers on the word 'tense' and leaning down to pull out a hair pin with his teeth. "But first… your hair and your wings."

Integra turned to face her husband, eyes sparkling with delight. She loved it when he played rough. "Wouldn't want that at all," she said. ”You’re already hard," she then accused, turning to give him better access as she threw off her shawl and reached to unzip her dress. "Unbelievable."

"Mhmm. I had to think of something to keep me going while those nobles were droning on about wheat harvest prices and vacation spots," Alucard agreed easily, his breath already coming in pants with anticipation. He pulled down her dress with one hand while the other unbuttoned his own vest, greedily trying to undress them both at the same time as fast as he could, listening to her breathing quickening in heightened excitement, listening to the way she was chuckling at his eagerness.  "Thoughts of what I was going to do with you afterward..." he purred with excitement, mouthing hungrily at the back of her neck. “Gods... Integra, I need you..."

Integra shivered at his words, thinking of the way he had looked at her during dinner. ”Alucard,” she moaned, reaching back to cup his hardness and biting her lip at how big it already was. "I need you too.... unbind my wings, Alucard, I want you to touch them."

Alucard grunted with arousal, his wings spasming under his bindings with a snap; he had broken one or two straps out of sheer desire. "Yeah," he rasped, clumsily beginning to unbind the trappings on her wings, pressing his thumbs deep into her feathers as he did.

Integra let out a desperate whine, which only grew more desperate as he drifted closer to the base of her wings. She had yet to resist an immediate orgasm whenever he touched those sensitive nerve endings, which was a constant source of embarrassment for her and a constant source of amusement for her husband.

"Mmh, so soft..." Alucard purred, pressing up against her back as close as he could to run his hands through her inner feathers, sucking and nibbling at her neck as he pulled away the last of the bindings, throwing them carelessly to the floor. His wings strained against the remaining wrappings on him, eager to show Integra how much he wanted her. “Integra... beautiful, beloved… unbind me too..."

God, she loved when he called her such amorous names. "I will," Integra said huskily, grabbing him and turning him around so she could quickly free his wings. "There," she said desperately, nuzzling her cheek against the soft black feathers, running her finger down a scar in the otherwise immaculate sea of black. "There." 

Purring amorously, Alucard pressed his feathers against Integra's cheek; his wings were seeking her touch. It felt heavenly to have them unbound and immediately stroked by his beloved wife. He trembled at her light touch along a scar. "Ahh...thank you." He breathed, facing Integra and tugging her back onto the bed, his wings flared in a flirtatious arc and pitch-black feathers puffed out wide; the moment the back of his legs hit the bedpost, he laid back, easily yet gently lifting Integra to his eye level.

"You're welco- Alucard!" said Integra in surprise as he picked her up and fell back onto the bed, bringing her up to lie on his chest. She huffed, trying not to look so pleased at his manhandling.

"My wife," Alucard purred lowly, burying his hands into her silvery feathers again and groping along the sensitive muscle while his mouth found the mark on her neck, "my intelligent, powerful wife, so dear to me..."

Integra couldn't help but look pleased at the praise, rubbing her cheek against his and moaning softly as he felt up her wings and mouthed at her neck. "My husband," she managed, her mouth finding his mark and kissing it tenderly. "Oh, how I love you."

Alucard nuzzled his bearded cheek back against her smooth skin, his throat rumbling with happy purrs. He drew in a deep breath through his nose when she kissed the mark her own fangs had left months before and exhaled in delight, staring up at his wife with a grin. "I love you, too," he answered warmly, stroking his fingers through her soft blonde hair, still wavy from being pulled back all day. 

Integra sat up, pushing off of his chest so she could regard how handsome he looked, in her childhood bed. Her wavy hair billowed down to the small of her back, and her wings were spread and puffed in the delight of courtship. "I wish this could last forever," she said wistfully.

Alucard drew a lock to his lips and kissed it, not breaking his eye contact with Integra. His gaze turned sharper, determined. "It will. No nation, no beastman is going to take me away from you. We're going to survive this war, come out victorious, and...everything after, we'll be together as husband and wife, as bonded mates." He wrapped his wings around her back, tugging her close.

Integra nodded, sighing at his words. She had her doubts that it would be as easy as he was suggesting. But even if it was their last night together, that still meant they had one whole night left. She leaned in to kiss him deeply, not trusting her voice, wriggling off her underwear on top of him. "I want you to fuck me," she said finally.

 Alucard smoothed a scarred palm down from Integra's shoulders to her thighs, giving them a squeeze as their lips met. "As you wish," He murmured while he hooked a thumb into his pants and underclothes, tugging them down and kicking them away as Integra had. He took in a sharp breath as his cock brushed Integra's hot stomach, his wings spreading wide across the bed with intense arousal. If this was to be their last night, he was going to make damn sure it was a good one. “ _Haah_... how do you want me?" He asked between heavy breaths, rasping his rough tongue along the smooth column of her throat while his hands massaged through her feathers, closer and closer to the base of her wings. "I'll do anything… whatever you want, my darling, my love… anything for you… want to make you feel good..."

Integra sighed; Alucard was so beautiful. She would never stop admiring how he looked, especially when he was under her. His hardness pressed into her stomach, and she pressed against it eagerly, sighing at how big it felt against her. "I..." she said, biting her lip to keep in her moans as he moved towards the base of her wings. "Alucard, you know I'll come if you... mmmm, I want your mouth..."

 Alucard nodded eagerly, filled with the anticipation of tasting her, of seeing her come undone by his tongue. "Of course… of course, my love… my pleasure..." he breathed, kissing a trail down her body, making sure to lay special attention to the marks on her neck and listening to her beautiful sighs. "My beloved Integra… I'll never let a single arrow nick this beautiful skin..." he mused, sucking and nibbling lovebites onto her inner thighs, coaxing her into letting out little noises of pleasure. He sighed reverently as he lowered himself between them. "Never, never..." His voice tapered off into a delighted moan as he descended further.

 "I don't know why you enjoy this so much," said Integra with a wry chuckle, before letting out a low, filthy moan as he licked into her. "God, that's... yes, Alucard..." She reached down to get a fistful of his hair, yanking roughly the way she knew he liked.

 Alucard grunted out of startled arousal and licked deeper inside her in appreciation, his rough, long tongue rasping over the spots he knew were most sensitive, savoring the heat and taste of her as if it was the last time he would be able to—for all he knew, it might be. With that thought in the back of his mind, he hummed with pleasure against her, one massaging her thighs as he increased the rhythm of his tongue, licking and sucking with fervor while the other began stroking himself; the sound of Integra's moans were too good to ignore. 

"Fuck," moaned Integra, bucking her hips onto his face in a desperate attempt for more friction. "Alucard, God _…_ I feel like I'm melting." His cool, rough tongue felt so good inside of her. “God, don't stop, baby, _please_ ," she begged.

Alucard purred, nuzzling against Integra's thigh as he continued to adore her with his tongue, stroking himself in time, drawing her closer against him with one hand. Drawing briefly away for breath, Alucard grinned, love-drunk, up at his wife. "Love it when you call me that," he growled before returning to his previous ministrations.

Integra whined in protest when Alucard drew back, lifting her head to glare at him. But her glare softened as she saw how absolutely in love with her he looked. "I... don't get used to it," she managed, before dropping her head back and letting out a cry as he lavished her with attention again. 

As Alucard worked, a mischievous thought entered his head. He added the faintest hint of his fangs to the sensation; he remembered that had driven her over the edge last time, and was curious to see if it was something she particularly liked.

The danger of his fangs on her intimate skin only added a thrill to Integra’s pleasure. "Alucard, God, I'm going to—" she began, before arching her back, letting out one more moan, and coming, riding her orgasm out on his face.

Smiling against her with satisfaction, Alucard laved his tongue into her through her orgasm, his fingers clutching her hips to him. He drew back, panting, with a wide, self-satisfied grin when she finished. "You like the fangs, hm?" he purred, his wings giving a prideful flap as he loomed over her to nuzzle at her neck. He was still painfully hard, but he was too pleased with himself for bringing Integra to such an intense orgasm to think much about it. "Enjoyed yourself, I hope?”

 "Oh, hush," said Integra throatily when she got her breath back, pulling him close by his hair so that they were face to face. She hummed, trying to get her orgasm-fogged mind to concentrate. "I suppose full penetration would be a bad idea..." she said ruefully. She really wanted him inside her.

Alucard's purrs rose in question, and he sat back to look her in the eye. The thought of being inside her sent a thrill down his spine, nearly jerking his hips in anticipation. "It would, but it sounds really very tempting, doesn't it?" he sighed, glancing down at his erection with a pitiful expression. "The worst ideas always are."

Penetration was easy enough when Integra was in heat, but they had quickly found out that the size difference between them, while incredibly pleasurable for both during the act of sex itself, would leave Integra terribly sore and grumpy the next day; the last thing he wanted was for Integra to have some measure of regret about their last night together before a battle. His wings ruffled as he thought; he really was very hard, which was making it difficult to think of anything other than being inside Integra. "What if we go...very slowly?" 

"Don't be ridiculous, Alucard," said Integra, but she was looking down at his cock wistfully, inner muscles clenching as she already felt him inside of her. "I... well.” Her rationality warred with her sex drive, and her sex drive—so stifled for so long—won out. “I suppose we could try going slowly. You're going to start with your fingers, mind you. Slowly. Very slowly. I have to ride a horse tomorrow, remember?"

Alucard brightened, his wings fluttering happily. "Yes! Yes, I'll go very slowly, with lots of preparation." He assured her, kissing her lips, though his excitement soon transitioned into passion; he licked greedily into her mouth, running his tongue over her fangs as one hand went down between their bodies. Purrs reverberated in his throat as he pressed a finger inside her, found her already wet and wanting from her previous orgasm, and added another. "You won't feel a bit of pain...I'll be gentle."

As she felt his tongue and fingers enter her, Integra couldn't help but forget her consternations and moan. Who cared if it was a mistake? It felt so _good._ She wrapped her arms around his neck and sucked on his tongue, riding his fingers as if they were his cock. _I'm just... not going to worry right now. I'm not going to worry about anything._

Alucard took Integra’s hint with a low groan and began to prepare her in earnest. The feeling of her around just his fingers and her lips around his tongue was so arousing that he hissed against Integra's mouth, fighting the urge to come right then. "Integra..." he gasped, biting her lip lustily. "Integra, I want you so much… want to be in you so, so much… come inside you..." he rasped desperately between kisses, doing his best to make sure she would be adequately prepared for him, though his mind was hazy with the desire to be inside her already.

"I know," Integra said, her voice breaking off into a whimper as he continued to move her fingers inside of her. "I want you inside," she said desperately. "I want to feel you— mmmm— inside of me.” She trailed off and moaned again.

Alucard echoed her moan desperately. ”Let me… let me know when you think… _ah_ —think you're ready..."

Integra shook her head quickly, putting a hand around his cock and rubbing at it in an effort to reciprocate. "I'm not ready yet... ah! We need to be patient..."

Alucard grunted with pleasure, his fingers crooking inside her in response. “Yes... yes, patient, I don't want to _h-haah_ … hurt you,” he groaned before breaking away to suck rough lovemarks onto her throat, desperate to show his adoration and distract himself from coming before the main event. He added another finger and took in a deep breath at how easily she took him in. His fangs extended with anticipation, brushing against her pulse point. “Gods... Integra… want you..."

Integra bit her lip and let out a muffled moan, high and desperate. "God, Alucard! Please, just... just a little longer..." she groaned in pleasure. After a few minutes, though, her self-control was almost expired. "I want you too," she finally moaned. "Alucard, do... do you think I'm ready? I want to be ready..."

Alucard purred low in his chest as Integra tugged him closer against her neck, dragging his fangs lightly along her throat before closing in on a sensitive spot high on her windpipe and sucking another lovemark onto her skin. "Mmmh..." He hummed with consideration, flexing his fingers inside her to judge if she was ready enough for him to enter with minimal pain. Withdrawing, he licked his hand clean, staring intently down at Integra with heat in his gaze. “Yesss... you're ready." He murmured, his voice so low that it was practically a rumble.

Integra made a small noise of discomfort when Alucard flexed, watching him lick with both repulsion and arousal before sighing in relief. "Thank God," she said breathlessly.

He quickly aligned their hips to meet, his chest heaving with the force of his arousal, and began to press slowly inside, giving Integra ample time to adjust. "Gods..."

Integra’s eyes widened and her mouth opened in a silent cry. He was so damned _big…_ ”Oh… oh m-my God..." she managed softly.

Alucard took in a deep breath through his nose as her body slowly accepted him in, fighting every instinct he had to simply thrust inside. He ducked to capture her mouth, licking languidly as if to draw in the sheer taste of her, while his hands rubbed through her inner feathers; keeping her consistently aroused would make the first penetration that much easier—that, and he couldn't resist hearing the beautiful noises she made when her inner wings were touched.

“ _Hnn_... Integra… how… how do you feel? C-can I… ah, go deeper…?" He asked in a low moan against her lips, every feather of his wings spread and trembling with desire. 

"I... I feel... fine," Integra gasped. "Yes, ugh, just... do it, Alucard…" 

Noticing the massaging of her feathers was having the right effect, Alucard pressed his fingers deeper into the sensitive muscle just as he edged deeper into Integra; he watched her reactions carefully, making sure she wasn't in too much pain. No matter how much he wanted to finish inside her, he didn't want to cause her unnecessary pain—he kissed her gently but with heat, groaning as he thrust deeper. "Mmh, gods, Integra...beautiful, divine...!"

 "Alucard," moaned Integra, and with every touch of her wings she pressed her hips forward ever so slightly, not wanting to feel the pain but desperately wanting him inside her. She kissed him back sloppily, drool spilling out of her mouth. "Alucard," she murmured when the kiss was over, eyeing his neck hungrily. "Can we..."

Alucard groaned, licking the saliva from the corner of her lips when he drew back, his wings flaring with arousal at the moan of his name. "Yesss..." he hissed, grinding his hips down as he bared his throat to Integra. The thought of her fangs in his neck again filled him with a thrill of excitement. "Bite me, Integra… mark me as yours all over again! Make sure everyone on the battlefield knows it!" he panted, finally feeling himself entirely inside her.

Integra snarled in response, her fangs elongating before she lunged forward to sink her teeth into his neck, drinking in his delicious blood as she moaned from how deep he was inside of her. He tasted so good; she couldn't believe that she ever dismissed blood drinking as barbaric. She looked into his eyes desperately, trying to communicate to him that she wanted him to bite her too.

Moaning in ecstasy, Alucard drew his hips out torturously slow before pressing in again, the friction so pleasurable it brought tears to his eyes. “Integra, gods, yes, so tight… so hot… _beautiful_..." He growled, licking desperately at the mark he had left on Integra's neck before sinking his fangs deep into her throat, completing the circuit between them. A wave of euphoria rushed through him as he heard her muffled cry of euphoria and drank in his first mouthful of her sweet, pure blood, a trickle of blue leaking down his chin out of his sheer greed to take her in. He began drinking her in time with his thrusts, purring and growling like he was in heat all over again; he swore to himself he would never let a drop of this previous blood spill anywhere outside the bedroom, even if he had to throw away his life to ensure it.

Integra whimpered; what he was doing to her was so, _so_ good. God, she loved him so much, more than anything. She would protect him with her life. If anything happened to him on the battlefield, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself. 

Alucard growled her name feverishly against her throat, hoping the unconditional love he had for his mate carried through in the movement of his hips; he retracted his fangs and rasped his rough tongue over the wound, gasping adorations against her skin.

One more good thrust was enough to send Integra  over the edge, releasing his neck so she could cry out his name and buck her hips desperately.

"Gods, Integra, Integra, beloved, my beautiful angel, my wife, gods I love you—“ Alucard broke off with a low moan as Integra came hard beneath him; the sound of his name coming from her lips in such a desperate cry was enough to pull him over with her, pressing his forehead hard against hers as he came inside her. "Mmh, Integra...!"

"I love you," moaned Integra as she came down from her high. "I love you so much, Alucard..." She whined and rolled her hips, wishing the orgasm could last forever. "I... I want this night to never end... I love you so much. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Alucard made an almost pained noise, nuzzling his forehead desperately against hers as they rode out the end of their lovemaking together. "Gods, Integra, me too, I love you too much—I can't lose you, I can't ever lose you," He whispered harshly and gave a final few thrusts to meet Integra's hips, trying to draw out every last second of their moments together. Breathing hard, he shut his eyes and cupped her warm face in his hands. "We're going to... we're going to be victorious. I swear to you." He promised breathlessly, his voice rough with sudden emotion. "Together, we'll defeat them, Integra."

Integra nuzzled back against him just as desperately, wanting him to become a permanent part of her. She wanted him to imprint his scent onto her, so she could smell him always. "I can't lose you either," she said breathlessly. "I can't lose you... mmmm, I believe you. We'll defeat them. We'll win.”

Alucard licked away the traces of her blood from his lips and chin before nuzzling back against Integra, purring loudly as he rubbed his scent against her neck and cheek, sensing Integra's need to be closer. His wings closed in around them, wrapping his arms then his wings around Integra in a second embrace. "I know we will… I have you, I can't lose… the image of Hausos herself is with me."

Integra felt her own purr rise in response—usually it only came when his purr pulled it out, like an answer to his question. She wrapped her arms around his neck, huffing at his statement. It made her speechless whenever he called her that. She could barely handle being a goddess in his eyes. "I hope you're right," she said finally.

Alucard's purrs matched Integra's pitch and rhythm, instinctually harmonizing with hers. He held her tightly to him, kissing slowly along every inch of her skin his lips could touch. "Mmh… my goddess at the dawn of war." He pressed his forehead to her shoulder, running his palms reverently across her silvery-white feathers. "My beautiful Integra... you'll bring us victory."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reminder that comments are always appreciated!!!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Watch my back and I'll watch yours. We're going to win this, Integra."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very long, and the tail end of it is graphic. From here until otherwise noted, LotB will contain--as the fic warning states--graphic depictions of violence, in the form of torture. Brief sexual harassment is also included in the chapter.
> 
> One more thing: Rip and Zorin are indeed evil and queer; but that does not mean that Gwen and I think gay people are evil, as we're both lesbians!!! lol

 "I _am_ a little sore, actually," Integra murmured to Alucard as she turned to him in expectation that he would help her get buckled into her breastplate.

Alucard made a sympathetic noise as he adjusted her breastplate around her wings. "I'm sorry, my love.”

"Yes, you should be sorry," Integra said, with a pout that she couldn't keep on her face when he kissed her neck. "You and your monster of a cock."

It was the next day. The two of them had rode their horses back in a brisk ride, eager to get to Wallachia and prepare for the upcoming war. When they got to the castle and shared the news of the Britannian army's help, the Wallachian King and Queen were elated. Hardened from years of battle with the Wallachians, the Britannians would be a huge asset that could definitely turn the tides against the Rhinelanders. Though many other Wallachians were still suspicious, they also were appreciative of the help.

The plan was for the Wallachian army to meet the Britannian army on the way to Rhineland, and then start the assault together. Alucard and Integra would lead the Wallachian send off, which would begin in one hour.

Integra had already experienced one panic attack that morning, and she was trying not to have another.

“The horseback riding didn't help either, I'd imagine,” Alucard added guiltily as her kissed her exposed neck just above the chainmail before checking and tightening the buckles of her armor.

His heart was racing with anticipation of battle, of tearing Rhinelanders limb from limb with his greatsword, silver-lined wings, and fangs; this was far from being his first war, and he had a feeling it wasn't going to be the last. However, he was conscious of the minute shivers in Integra's feathers that told she felt otherwise. "How are you feeling?" He smoothed his claw-gloved palm gently down the side of her wing as he bent forward to pick up the armor for her wings. "Any better from this morning? You were… nervous."

Integra bit her lip. "I'm sorry about that," she said softly, beyond embarrassed that he had to see her so distraught. "I'm just... yes, I'm nervous."

Frowning, Alucard quickly finished fastening the sharp silver armor onto the tops and feather-ends of her wings— the armor was expertly crafted and designed specifically for her so that she could barely feel the weight—and went around to Integra's front, cupping her face in his hands and seeing that her ice-blue eyes were wide with fear. “Integra, look at me," he requested, taking care not to scratch her with his gauntlets. "You don't need to apologize for being nervous, especially not to me. This is different from anything you've ever faced. It's not easy for anyone to walk onto the battlefield, much less for the first time. In fact, it's good that you're afraid—that fear will keep you alive. But you, Integra, you have nothing to fear." He kissed her forehead, resting his lips there for a long while. "I will be here with you for every step, for every kill, for every swing of your blade—I will not let you fall on that field." Still pressing their foreheads together, he met her eyes. "Do you trust me when I say this, Integra?" 

Integra nodded in response to his words, taking them all in. When he finished, she bit her lip before batting off his hands, taking his face in her own grip. "Alucard," she said. "I trust you. But I need you to promise that you won't sacrifice yourself for me. I don't want to live without you, knowing that it was my fault you died. I'd rather die myself."

“Integra, I…” Alucard said, trailing off in surprise. He met her icy gaze for a long moment before finally dropping it with a sigh, resting his cheek against her palm in defeat. He wouldn't want to live with the guilt of knowing Integra had died to save him, either. “Alright... I won't. I can't promise I won't make any instinctive, rash decisions to keep you safe, but I won’t... I won't leave you alone. But the same applies to you, too, you know,” he acquiesced, kissing her gloved palm before taking it in his grip.

"Good," said Integra in relief, squeezing his hand. She nodded at his request. "I won't leave you behind.”

 Squeezing back reassuringly, Alucard smiled. “Now... are you ready to spill some beastman blood?”

“Yes. I'm ready." Integra looked up at him with a savage smile. "I'm going to gut them like the pigs they are."

 Alucard couldn’t resist ducking in to kiss her hard on the lips. "That's the Integra Tepes-Hellsing I know and love,” he purred, nuzzling her cheek once before standing to his full height as there was a knock at the door.

 "My lady?" said Seras on the other side. "We're ready when you are."

 "We're ready," Integra said, turning to head towards the door and open it, smiling when she saw Seras in full Wallachian armor. "You look beautiful."

Seras smiled back. "So do you," she replied.

Alucard gave a chuff of approval. "Wallachian armor suits you, Seras.”

 "Thank you, Prince Vladislav," said Seras, beaming up at him. All of her doubts about Alucard had been quelled as time passed and she realized how sweet and loving he was to Integra. 

“The troops are ready to head out on my signal, I assume?" Alucard asked, grabbing his helmet—modeled after that of a dragon—and Integra's—modeled after that of a gryffon.

Seras nodded. “The troops are ready. The Britannian army has sent word that they are setting out as well."

Alucard slid his helmet on over his horns and pulled the jawpiece down so his face was visible after passing Integra her helmet. In a full set of black-tinted armor, he cut an imposing figure. "I've never led two armies before… this should be fun." 

Integra took her helmet and admired it for a moment before pulling it on. It lacked a movable jawpiece, but it left her face mostly hidden. Her silvery-white armor practically shone; in the sunlight, it could potentially be blinding. "Fun," she agreed, rolling her head to crack her neck. "Let's go."

 

* * *

 

Two hours later after both Britannian and Wallachian troops had been outfitted and rallied, Alucard and Integra rode out onto the battlefield, leading the charge on the Rhinelander capitol.

However, they didn't get far; the Rhinelanders had evidently expected the attack and sent out an army of their own, fearsome, massive, and riding mechanical creatures the likes of which Alucard had never seen before. His wings flared with bloodlust as he set eyes on what he assumed to be the opposing side's general—a white wolfman Alucard's size or taller, dressed all in black and carrying a spearheaded bayonet.  "Damn, there's more of them than I thought there'd be… no matter. Half of them are barely armed,” he growled to himself and Integra, reigning in his horse as he looked over the enemy. He pulled his helmet shut. "Integra, ride with me. We're going after their general. After we take him, their forces will scatter."

Integra looked around with slightly wild eyes, wondering who of their soldiers wouldn't be alive by the end of the battle. She looked forward at the Rhinelanders, feeling uneasiness run through her. _Why would they be barely armed? That doesn't make any sense_... "Right," she said, nodding at her husband. "I'm right beside you." She unsheathed her sword. "I love you."

Alucard felt a pang of worry at Integra's tone, nodding his head in return. His scarlet eyes locked with hers even from behind the dark of his helmet. "I love you too,” he replied earnestly, holding her eyes a moment longer before unsheathing his greatsword and facing the enemy. "Watch my back and I'll watch yours. We're going to win this, Integra." 

Yanking on his horse's bridle, he drew around and reared up, rising his sword to signal to the Wallachian-Britannian troops to make formation and charge. "Come on," He barked to Integra, urging his horse into a gallop directly at the Rhineland forces, a fierce grin on his face. He could practically taste their blood already.

"Right!" shouted Integra in response, urging her horse forward behind him.

Roaring and wings flared to their full span, Alucard charged into the thick of the battle as he made his way to the opposing general, slashing away at every beastman his sword could reach, incensed by the smell of blood.

As Integra rode forward, she slashed at the soldiers that Alucard missed, dodging their attacks nimbly. Suddenly, she saw the Rhinelanders pulling out strange small guns, nothing that should have done much damage. But then they started firing, and Integra's eyes widened as she saw the range and effect those bullets had. Some of them even seemed to be exploding in their enemies' bodies, doing tremendous damage. But nothing was stopping Alucard, and therefore nothing was stopping her as they made a beeline for the Rhinelander captain.

Alucard hacked wildly away at the swarm of beasts, their weapons clanging against his armor as they swiped back at him, trying to dislodge him from his horse—but the prince was blind to anything but their faces twisted with agony when his sword or wings found their mark in their bodies, laughing maniacally when he struck them down, imagining each one had been the one to tear his brother apart. His bloodlust was insatiable even in the face of new and foreign weaponry; he saw them strike down his troops with ease and urged his horse faster, trusting Integra would do the same.

Suddenly, there was a shout from one of the Rhineland soldiers—he looked a bit more decorated than the other ones. "HEY!!!!" he shouted, clearly not having a grasp on either Breton or Wallachian. "Vladislav!"

Alucard looked up with surprise at the shout of his given name spoken by the enemy, garbled through the beastman's accent; never before had an enemy soldier try to speak with him unless it was to beg for their life. Ignoring the horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, he rode his steed closer, trying to make out what the beastman was waving at him—a white flag already? But it was too dark, too much like…

Integra squinted at the soldier too, making out that he was holding up something on a stick. As they rode closer, she was able to see what it was, and she gasped in horror. 

Skewered in place by the stick was a head. A head of a person who looked very much like Alucard, only... older. Bigger, perhaps. Integra knew at once that it had to belong to Mircea. And from the look on his face, he died screaming. She looked over to Alucard in fear of his reaction, letting out a shout of "NO!"

The soldier grinned, noticing Integra's reaction, and all the other soldiers around him started laughing. He looked back at Alucard, pointing at Integra. "Her next?" he taunted.

Alucard’s throat closed with horror as realization dawned on him, unable to take his eyes off the severed head of his brother, his pale face frozen in a scream. The beastmen were laughing, pointing at Integra, and Mircea's head was screaming.

It wasn't until the blood hit his tongue that he realized he had been screaming too, having vaulted himself off his horse and charged in a blind rage into the fray on foot. He had torn into the Rhineland forces with a blind fury he had never felt before, ripping limbs off with one hand and swinging his greatsword in the other, his massive wings spread wide to slash at anyone who got too close. "You bastards!!" He roared, his eyes stinging with tears as he charged for the monster that had held his brother's head aloft—he was so far gone that nothing else mattered but his revenge, not even Integra.

"Alucard!" screamed Integra, spurring on her horse to follow him. "Don't do this, don't be foolish, don't do this!" Her horse was shot and went down, but she quickly hopped off of it before it crushed her and ran on foot towards her husband.

Alucard had ripped his way through the troops, careless of the armies fighting around him, all the way to the fox-man that held his brother's head aloft; his clawed hand reached forward to rip its throat open, but he staggered when an unexpected heaviness overtook his leg. "What the fuck is this?!" He spat, trying to keep moving onward and failing; he dropped to his knees with a grunt, his adrenaline pounding too hard to register the bullet lodged in his leg. Hissing and growling like a wounded animal, Alucard tried to drag himself to his feet with his longsword, his scarlet eyes nearly glowing with the force of his glare as he located what—or who—had taken him down. His leg crumpled under his weight and he fell to his knees again, snarling. "Fuck! Damn you, you bastards, I'll rip your heart from your throats!!”

"Alucard, no!" Integra screamed again, desperately this time as she saw what happened; the great Rhinelandian beast-general had shot her mate’s leg. She ran even faster, dodging every beastman in her wake—well, perhaps her wings did slash a few of them—but she was too late.

 A lance of pain struck through the adrenaline when Alucard tried to get to his feet again, refocusing him from his bloodrage—he heard Integra's panicked voice calling his name and felt cold fear run through him at the thought of her on her own on the battlefield. "Shit, Integra—!" He began, turning to where he had heard her voice come from, but stopped short at a searing pain and a sick tearing noise. Choking on his shock, he stared down at the bloodied sword protruding from his lower abdomen, gagging with pain as he watched it pull back down.

The beast-general had pulled out a sword almost as long as his and had stabbed Alucard in the side. He pulled his sword out of Alucard's side and moved to stab again.

Integra roared in panicked fury, lunging forward to parry the blow. "I'll kill you!" she screamed, moving to attack. But before she could make any more moves, two figures ran in from either side of her, blocking her path.

"Princess Integra!" screamed Seras, not taking her eyes off the wolf-man. "Get Prince Vladislav to safety! We'll handle the general!"

Pip fired several rapid-fire shots at the beast-general to distract him. "Don't worry about us, Princess Integra! Find a medic and we'll hold the field while you're gone!" He shouted, flaring his wings wide to hide their escape, sword pointed threateningly at the wolfman. "Come at us, you fucking furball!" 

"We'll send your furry ass to hell!" Seras declared, baring her teeth as she approached the beast-general with her frankly enormous sword drawn. 

"Fine!" yelled Integra, ever-grateful for both of them. "Alucard, come here, you need to..."

Alucard grunted with the effort of getting to his feet at Integra's request, only barely managing to get his footing by stabbing his longsword into the icy ground. "Shit, shit..." He snarled breathlessly, hating the sensation of blood filling his boots and staining through his chainmail; the injury he had sustained may not have been life-threatening, but it was damn painful and bleeding hard enough to make Alucard's mind go foggy. 

Integra groaned as she attempted to pick him up and failed miserably; he dwarfed her in mass.” Damn this... I need a horse..." Turning to her right, she saw a bear-man barreling towards her on one of those metal contraptions and smiled. She effortlessly dodged his offensive, stabbed him in the crotch, and knocked him off his "horse", which immediately stopped moving. "Alucard," she said, turning to her husband and kneeling beside him. "Can you get on this... thing? Do you feel up for it? I need to get you out of here, even if we can just make it to the trees."

“I... yes, I can, but…" Alucard answered haltingly, glancing around with his teeth clenched. Shame made him drop his eyes, but he accepted Integra's hand. _Some general I am, baited into a trap and wounded so badly I can't fight_. "I can't abandon… my post for long. I just need… to get this leg taken care of." Hissing with pain, he yanked his sword out of the ground and hoisted himself onto the mechanical steed out of sheer force of will. Blood gushed out from behind his fingers with the effort, but he clapped a hand over it and held the other to Integra. "Come on."

Integra was horrified at the state her husband was in. _He can't leave me._ "God, Alucard, you don't just need your leg taken care of," she said worriedly, grabbing his hand and mounting the metal contraption behind him. "Your stomach... Do you know how to steer one of these things?"

"My leg is all that's keeping me from… from fighting. I can pack some snow into my stomach and be… be on with it." Alucard ground out, grabbing the reigns of the metal horse in one hand. He glanced over the machinery, quickly looking over its controls; tugging at the reigns controlled the direction, and the pressure of his boots on the pedals increased the speed. He nodded. "Yes, I can—I can gather the basi— _hnnh_!" 

He cut off as a wave of pain crashed over him at a slight movement of his abdomen; he felt something tear further and more blood gushed out between his fingers, making him double over. 

Integra was going to scold Alucard for his disregard for his own safety, but as soon as she saw the blood pouring out she gasped his name in panicked alarm.

Alucard was struggling. “Shit, you’ll... you'll have to control the reigns, I can push the pedals, but..." He pushed the reigns into Integra's hands, gripping them in his own bloody palms.

 "Oh, er, alright, I can do that," she said in panic, taking the reigns and starting to steer their way through the trees. As she looked behind her briefly, she saw Seras and Pip in a furious fight with the wolf-general, and prayed to both the Britannian and Wallachian gods that they would be safe.  

It occurred to Alucard to look over his wife, make sure she was alright. "You're not injured, are you...? I was… I couldn't think… after seeing Mircea, I…”

"I'm fine," Integra assured her husband, wishing she could touch him reassuringly but was too busy struggling with the reigns. "Perfectly fine. I don't blame you in the slightest; that was absolutely repulsive."

Alucard could only groan in reply, eyebrows furrowed as he wrestled with his anger at himself, at the Rhinelanders, and the aching in his side and leg. "Good, I'm glad you...you're alright. I shouldn't have left you behind like that, I'm..." He ducked his head, hiding his pained expression.

"It's fine," said Integra, hoping he believed her. "We're both fine."

When they got to the trees, she looked carefully for any place they could properly hide. "There!" she said suddenly, pointing over his shoulder to a thick enclave of trees, so thick that nothing could be seen through their wide trunks. She steered the mechanical horse over towards them, dismounting neatly as soon as Alucard stopped pressing the petals. "Do you need help dismounting?" 

Alucard shook his head. ”I can dismount on my own." With a grunt, he lowered himself down, holding tightly onto the reigns until his feet touched the ground.

 His leg nearly gave out again—making Integra wince—but he grit his teeth and stood, his wings tucked close to his body as he stared balefully at the battle he had abandoned. “Let’s... get this over with,” he grunted, limping over to the trees, a red trail marking his steps. However, he paused, glancing around the area. It felt almost as if he was being watched. "Integra, don't lower your sword. Stay by me."

Integra rushed to his side to support his weight as best she could by ducking under his arm. "Alucard," she said in exasperation, drawing her sword as soon as she had helped him take a seat on the ground. "I have to lower it. I need to help you dig the bullets out and bandage your wounds."

Alucard gave a mumbled thanks, his wings still folded cagily around himself and his eyes scanning their surroundings. "I can dig it out myself—keep watch,” he answered curtly, his pain and worry for Integra's safety making his words come out in a growl. Something was wrong. It wasn't that his troops weren't doing well; on the contrary, they were dealing with the unexpected appearance of the Rhinelanders' new weaponry and weren't thrown by their sheer numbers, but something was still making his skin prickle with discomfort that had nothing to do with his wounds.

Integra huffed, stepping back from Alucard. "Fine," she said in frustration. "I'll keep watch. But if you lose too much blood, you're going to pass out and then you'll be no good to anyone." She looked around uneasily; something was bothering her about this situation. Nothing seemed right. _That general was clearly practiced and used to battle. Why did he miss so pathetically in his shooting and swordplay?_

Finally, Alucard placed what had him on edge—the beast-general was nowhere to be found. He swore and drew his gun, his heavy breathing making his abdominal wound ooze even more steadily. "Shit! Integra, that wolfman is still around—be on your guard!" He barked, pressing his back against the tree to leverage himself back to his feet.

Integra looked up in alarm at Alucard's sharp words, and the way his wound was bleeding. "Alucard, sit down!" she ordered, her voice sharp and unforgiving. "Pip and Seras were fighting him earlier, I hardly think that he'll be free enough to hunt us down." Suddenly, she heard the crack of a twig, as if someone had stepped on it. "Shit," she murmured. "Alucard, I'm going to go see what that is." She looked to make sure he was seated before running off into the more open forest.

"Be careful!" Alucard called after his wife.

Integra moved quickly and quietly. But after only a minute of running and seeing nothing but the trees, she found herself pushed to the ground, the air rushing out of her lungs. As far as she could tell, someone had leapt down from the nearest tree and landed on her, sending her downward. She reacted quickly, knocking him off of her. But as she turned around to face him, she felt something hard and circular pushing into the back of her neck—the one place her armor didn't quite cover. _A gun_ , her panicked mind told her. 

"Don't move," ordered the person holding the gun, his Breton possessing a heavy Rhineland accent. "Remove your helmet."

Integra paused for a moment, then winced as the gun was pressed further into her neck. “All right," she said quickly, taking off the helmet. 

As soon as she did, a cloth was placed over her mouth, smelling of chloroform. She fought against every instinct to struggle, knowing that the gun was still pointed at the back of her head. Instead, she moaned as she allowed the chloroform to overcome her, the corners of her vision going black and spreading as she sagged back into the Rhinelander's arms. _Alucard,_ she thought desperately, _Please get away from here._ All she could hope for was that the Rhinelanders were unaware of his presence.

Meanwhile, Alucard’s breath came in harsh clouds in the cold air as he listened carefully for any indication that Integra was safe, that nothing had happened to her. "Integra?" he yelled, bracing himself against the tree as he took a step forward, gun drawn and wings spread with trepidation.

"Integ—" The next thing he knew, two heavy weights plummeted onto his back, making him give a cry of shock and pain as he crashed to the snow. He snarled with anger, trying to flap his wings, but was ultimately helpless as a series of clawed hands held him down, yanking his helmet off and digging into his skin. "Damn you!!"

"The Major will see you now," said a low, Rhineland-accented voice, a grin clear in its tone as a cloth was pressed roughly against Alucard's face, forcing him to draw in a startled breath. Not seconds after the chemicals in the cloth began to take effect, compounding on his bloodloss. As the prince-general faded out of consciousness, his last thoughts were of Integra, and how he hoped she, at least, had gotten away safely.

 

* * *

 

It felt like days later when the haze lifted from Alucard's mind enough for him to open his eyes. The surface he was laying against was cold, but not snowy—he wasn't on the battlefield—and his limbs felt like they were made of lead and armorless, crusted over with blood. _Where the fuck am I?_ he thought blearily to himself, trying to get his vision to clear so he could look around at his surroundings and himself.  

"'Tegra?" Alucard groaned, trying to push himself upright. His leg and abdomen ached, but the pain helped clear his head enough to see he was in a cell of some sort—dark, with hard, grated floors. Manacles clanked as he moved. _Captured_. “Shit."

Rip Van Winkle had popped her head through the door, quickly checking to make sure the prisoner was still asleep. Of course she had to stay, though, when she was reminded of how handsome he was. She sighed, hanging on the doorframe as she ogled Prince Vladislav. She had only heard of his brawn and rugged looks through rumors, and she was beyond pleased to see that the rumors were true. He was so handsome... so tortured in his pained unconsciousness. She couldn't wait to rip him apart. 

When he groaned a name and began to move around, Rip had to cover her mouth to prevent her squawk from escaping. She ducked out of the room, turning to see her mate dozing off in the sentry chair. "Zorin!" she hissed, running over and shaking the lioness awake. "Zorin, wake up! Vladislav, he is awake!" 

"Hmm?" grunted Zorin, opening her eyes immediately. When she processed her mate's words, she grinned widely. "Is he now? Excellent." She sighed as she got up from her chair, grabbing her scythe. "I still don't see why we couldn't be chosen to play with the pretty one instead. Men are disgusting.”

 "Oh, but he's beautiful..." murmured Rip, following her mate into the room. "So big... so tall..." She stayed behind Zorin, acknowledging the lioness's superior status.

"Now _you're_ being disgusting," Zorin huffed, before her smile returned as she picked up her scythe and banged the blunt end harshly against the cell's bars. "Good morning, Crown Prince. I hope you slept well," she taunted.

Alucard couldn't help a pained moan escaping his lips, the harsh sound of the scythe ringing in his muddled head. "Who...?" he growled, rolling himself over with difficulty to face who had made such a horrid racket. His eyes narrowed at the blurry sight of two grotesque figures at the bars of his cell; one a tall, gangly, blue heron-like creature and the other a muscle-bound, tattooed lioness, both wearing similar uniforms to the beast-general he had seen on the field. He bared his fangs at them, his bloodied wings flaring defensively. "And who the hell are you two supposed to be?" he snapped, tugging at his chains to test their strength. Clamped tight around his wrists, ankles, wings, and neck—taut to the wall, giving him a small range of motion. "Where am I?! Where's my wife?” 

Zorin chuckled. ”I wouldn't be so rude to us, Crown Prince. Not while your life is practically in our hands," she said, leaning down into a squat to get to his level. “And are you worried about your pretty little boundback? That’s so sweet” She was _so_ tempted to tell him where the Britannian princess was, but she remembered her Major's orders and feigned a scoff, turning to look up at her mate. "Well, lucky for you we have no idea where she is. Right, Rip?"

 "No idea at all," sighed Rip. Oh, she wanted to touch his biceps. "I think she gave us the slip in that forest."

 "Damn her," Zorin said, before smiling at their captive, noting how Alucard’s entire body sagged to the ground with relief that Integra, at least, wasn’t stuck in such a hellhole with him. _Little does he know…_ "But we've got the most important prize, don't we? The Crown Prince of Wallachia. The second one, anyway. Maybe after this one's used up we'll get the complete set."

 "As for who we are," said Rip, stepping forward timidly. "I am Rip Van Winkle. It is... a pleasure to meet you, Crown Prince." She giggled as she bowed.

"You can just call me Zorin," said the lioness roughly as she stood up. "You won't be doing anything but screaming later, so it hardly matters."

 Alucard shook his head; he could care less about whatever they had to do with him now if Integra was safe. "I'm not surprised she avoided the clutches of you lowlifes. I wouldn't be here myself if it wasn't for your cowardly ambush of a wounded man,” he growled, watching the creatures Rip and Zorin carefully. A wry smile crossed his lips. "But if you're willing to let me go in exchange for Radu, I'd gladly give him up. He's filthy enough to be a worthy meal for you disgusting beasts. Who knows? Maybe he'll even eat your porkchop of a leader and take his place.” 

Zorin scowled, but Rip was far more incensed. "How dare you?" she cried, stepping forward and pulling out her whip, cracking it with perfect accuracy so that it snapped only an inch away from Alucard's face. "You... you can't just say that about the Major!"

"Calm down, darling," said Zorin with a crooked smile. "He's all bluster. Especially when he sees what we've got up our sleeves." She held a hand to her ear, pressing a button on the earpiece she was wearing. "Major," she said. "Your suspicions are confirmed." 

Alucard couldn't help but flinch back; the crack of the whip had happened too quickly for his foggy mind to comprehend. His flinch stung the wound on his stomach, but it seemed to have clotted while he was unconscious and didn't begin to bleed as he thought it would. A glance down at his bare chest revealed that the wound was haphazardly stitched together, but red with impending infection. He grunted with irritation and looked back up at the two hideous women, eyebrows furrowed. "What? What suspicions? I demand your answer!”

Zorin only smiled, tapping her earpiece cryptically. "Don't you worry your pretty little head, Crown Prince," she said in a twisted form of a coo. "You've already given us all we wanted to hear. Didn't he, Rip?" 

"He did," agreed Rip, a pout on her face. "But I don't know why he cares so much for a pathetic, weak boundback. With the size of her, she's probably not even fuckable. He probably tears her up every time he takes her. Now, with a real woman..." She batted her eyelashes at Prince Vladislav.

Zorin made a noise of jealousy and disgust, shoving Rip's shoulder. "Enough, you pervert. You can't touch him. At least, not yet." 

Alucard snarled, baring his fangs in fury. His wings gave a furious, stunted flap, tugging on their chains. "You hold your tongue, filthy beast! You're nothing compared to her!" he barked, desperate to rip apart the full length of the heron-woman's throat for her slight against Integra and out of sheer disgust at her proposition. His furious gaze flickered to Zorin, his nostrils flaring. "You lay a single claw on me, I'll tear it off and eat the meat from your bones.”

Throwing back her head, Rip let out a cackle. "We'll see about that, my Prince!" she crowed happily, bending down to see him better. She stuck her head slightly through the bars. "We'll see," she said, hissing out the words this time.

Zorin opened her mouth to say something else, but suddenly put a hand to her earpiece, as if getting some sort of communication. Then she broke into a wide smile, showing her sharp teeth. "Excellent," she said.

 

* * *

 

Integra found herself feeling just as groggy as her husband as she woke up on a cold, unforgiving surface. Her limbs were leaden and her armor was gone; she was in the long-sleeved shirt and leggings that she had worn under the armor that morning. Or was it that morning? How much time had passed? "Where..." she murmured dizzily, her head lolling to her side. She tried to get up, but was unable to. She was not in any pain, unlike Alucard, so she had no way to clear her head. Until, that is, she remembered her husband. "Alucard," she said sharply, looking around with clearer eyes. _Oh, fuck_ , she thought as she saw the manacles around her limbs.

 A single fluorescent light flicked on in the adjacent cell, directly into Integra's face; she groaned and moved to cover her eyes and escape the bright light, but her manacles were chaining her what appeared to be a surgical table.

An automatic door whirred open with a beep, and two figures entered the small, dark space hidden partially in shadow; only the gleam of two sets of eyes could be seen. "Ah, _Dornröschen_ wakes!" An amused voice spoke in lightly accented Breton as the harsh clacking of hooves drew closer to Integra from the door. A wet padding of clawed feet followed somewhat nervously, erratic in its footsteps. "I trust you had a restful sleep, _meine leibling_. Doktor? Give our guest a sip to drink; she must be parched!"

"Yes, of course!" A different, more tremulous voice replied, and suddenly the pale, scaly, bespectacled face of a lizardman loomed over Integra, pressing a small vial of deep blue liquid against her lips with impatience. A pink tongue shot out of the corner of his wide mouth to lick his glasses clean. "Drink, girl. The Major has given you a gift; aren't you grateful?"

A drop hit Integra’s own tongue, and she nearly obeyed the lizardman; she was still dazed, her throat and mouth were awfully dry, and the liquid was delicious. Then she realized how foolish that would be and craned her head to the side. "Like hell," she spat. "What is that, some sort of..." She trailed off in horror as she realized what it was, nearly gagging on the single drop of Britannian blood in her mouth. "Monsters," she said in disgust.

The lizardman fumbled to keep the rest of the liquid in the vial as Integra refused it. "Ungrateful bitch," He hissed, slapping his webbed, clawed hand across her cheek. His multiple lenses flashed angrily. "How dare you show such disrespect in the face of the Major's kindness?!”

 Integra inhaled sharply, her face darkening in embarrassment and anger. She moved to insult him in return, but was rendered speechless as the other beastman began to speak.

"Now, now, Doktor...let us not be hasty. Surely our guest is still disoriented from her sweet dreams, thinking she would wake in her husband's arms. No?" The voice broke into snorting laughter, the second pair of glowing yellow-green eyes advancing toward Integra before the owner revealed himself; a massive, portly pigman, tusks and bristles and all, his smattering of blonde hair swept neatly to the side and his white uniform immaculate. The skin of a white fox lined his cape, its half-human face frozen in its death throes. He advanced closer, the click of his hooves on the grates revealing his sheer size and weight. He was more boar than pig—frankly gigantic in size and horrific in appearance. The lizard-doctor, lanky and skeletal, barely had five inches on the pigman's immense size. Integra had to resist the urge to shudder and look away from such a horrible beast of a man.

"Perhaps you may recognize me, _fraulein_. I am Major Krieg, the king-commander of Rhineland; it is with great happiness that we welcome you to our humble little country!" The pigman introduced himself, taking Integra's chained hand in his massive clawed palm and pressed his wet snout against it in a bastardization of a kiss, Integra biting her lip to hold in a noise of disgust and horror. He gestured behind himself at the lizardman. "And this is Herr Doktor, my trusted advisor to the throne! He is very clever, you see, and knows what's best for you...will you not drink? Recover some of the blood you had lost on the battlefield?”

After a moment of biting her lip, Integra found her voice. "Pleased to meet you," she said, succeeding in making her tone icy. "I have to say, I heard that you Rhinelanders were ugly, but I had heard wrong. To be accurate, I would describe you both as hideous. And I didn't lose any blood, you idiot.”

The Major only smiled at Integra's insults, his tusks accentuating his grin while Doktor stammered with fury at his side. "You dare—?!" the lizardman hissed, raising his hand again, only to be stopped by a raised paw from the Major.

 "Worry not, Doktor, she is only playing," he chortled, "the silly pigeon will try to fluff itself up in defense, but it cannot hide it is just that; all fluff." He was beginning to circle the Britannian princess when Zorin's voice crackled in his ear. A brief raise of his thin, bristly eyebrows was the only indication of his reaction to her news.

As the pig-major hesitated, Integra couldn’t help but think of Alucard again. “You mentioned my having sweet dreams about being in my husband’s arms? Unfortunately, I feel it is my duty to inform you that my 'sweet dreams' involving him would be more along the lines of stabbing him through the chest." It hurt to say it, but she had to prevent them from knowing her weaknesses. Luckily, it didn't seem as if they knew where he was. _Thank God._  

The Major stared down at the princess for a long while while she tried not to squirm, before his grin widened. Something rang false in her words. "Oh-ho, all is not well in paradise, is it? How has he wronged you, my dove? Sleeping around like a bitch in heat, as Wallachians are wont to do? He beats you? Perhaps he even takes you without your consent, tears you up inside?" He questioned, two clawed fingers grabbing an outer feather and rubbing it between them.

 Integra flushed and avoided his gaze. This sort of conversation was not one she wished to engage in with such a horrible man. "Yes," she said, wincing at his rubbing of her feather. She barely felt anything, but if he continued to touch her she would most certainly shame herself in front of the enemy. "He's a true barbarian. Hardhearted. You can't do anything to me that he hasn't done already." Perhaps she could pretend to strike up a truce with this horrible man, with Wallachia as their common enemy. It was worth a shot. She wondered where Alucard was right now; probably gathering reinforcements to save her. She wouldn't be there long.

The Major studied Integra for another moment in perfect silence; the only audible noise was the faint mechanical hum of the lightbulb as he stared down at his captive. His expression was unreadable save for his wide, menacing grin while he considered Integra's words and expressions. Finally, he gave a little snort of amusement and lifted a clawed finger to his ear, clicking on his headpiece. "Lieutenant Zorin, dear, I believe you are correct,” he said with a happy lilt in his tone, making certain to speak Breton so Integra could understand. He began to circle the princess again as Doktor gave a maniacal giggle, biting his finger to prevent another from spilling out. "You say these things, _fr_ _aulein_ , but I am sorry, somehow I just cannot believe you. You see, a little birdy—well, a cat, really—told me he saw differently on the battlefield. He saw quite differently indeed." He rapped his claws on his portly stomach in consideration, pausing to face Integra fully. "Hm, hm. Well, it's your word against Warrant Officer Schrödinger’s, who does like to tell a joke now and then… shall we put your words to the test? Do you 'walk the talk', as they say in Britannia? Is that right? Walk the talk? Hm, no matter. Zorin? Lift the partition, would you?” 

"Yes sir, my Major," Zorin said into her earpiece, speaking from the room she was in. She strode over to a nearby switch and flicked it down. There was a loud groaning noise, and the wall dividing the two rooms receded to either side, revealing that it was truly one large cell block.

Integra was strapped onto a surgical table in one of the cells, while Alucard was chained to the wall on the cell across from hers. They looked at each other first in confusion, then in absolute horror and panic.

"Alu- Vladislav!?" Integra said, trying not to look like her entire world was crashing down around her. _No, I thought he... I thought he had escaped... he looks so terrible, he need medical attention. They're going to kill him!_ In the back of her mind, she realized that this meant no one was preparing to rescue her; but that took a far second place to her concern for her husband.

Alucard’s wings fell. _But they said she was safe, she had escaped, she's supposed to be safe but she's here, chained down like me with those fucking monsters around her, chained down and scared, this is my fault, this is wrong, no, no, no—_ “No... no, Integra..." he rasped, his voice broken with emotion upon seeing Integra at the mercy of the beastmen. A surge of fury washed over him, more powerful than his fear, and he tugged at his chains with a snarl. "No! Let her go, you fucking monsters!! I'll kill you! Don't you lay a finger on her!" he roared, thrashing his wings. He could distantly feel his stitches popping as he struggled, but he could care less—he needed to get Integra out of there, off that table. "Damn it! Integra!! Integra, are you alright?!" 

Doktor licked excitedly at his glasses, a bit of drool escaping from the corner of his froggish mouth at Alucard's vehement reaction. His bulging eyes flickered between Integra and Alucard, sometimes both at once. "Oh, look at him flap about like a chicken with its head cut off, Major!" he snickered, "he's even torn the stitches I so lovingly tended to!" 

The Major chuckled. ”Oh my. You may hate the barbarian, my beautiful princess, but it certainly seems worried about you, doesn't it?" he chortled, his beady green-yellow eyes flashing with amusement. "Look how it calls out to you! Such dramatics… so loud!”

Integra's jaw clenched and she looked away, but the panic on Alucard's face was carved into her memory. The urge to look at him—reassure him, tell him that everything would be ok, tell him to be careful with his stitches—was becoming almost impossible. She shook her head, trying to shield herself from Alucard's grief, and the amusement of the beastmen.

“Zorin, dear, give him a kick, will you?” continued the Major. “It might shut him up so I can have a civil conversation with the _fraulein_ here."

"Of course," said Zorin graciously. She opened the door to the cell and stepped in.

Alucard tore at his chains in a mad frenzy, the Rhinelanders' laughter fueling his rage, until Zorin kicked him hard in the jaw and sent him sprawling on the cold grates.

"Shut up, you mutt! Let the Major speak!” she said.

He snarled deep in his chest at the distraction from his escape, glaring up at the lioness with hatred burning in his red eyes. "Bitch," he spat, and was about to lunge to sink his fangs into her leg when Integra spoke up.

"Vladislav, that's enough, you bastard. You can quit pretending. They know our marriage was for political means, and I'm tired of acting like I'm in love with a monster.” Integra spoke evenly, without making eye contact with the only love of her life. Every word broke her heart, but she hoped fervently that Alucard would understand what she was trying to do. She turned her cold, condescending gaze on the pigman. "This is tiresome.”

Alucard’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, then hurt, his mind too clouded with powerful emotions and pain to discern what Integra was trying to do. His wings dropped, a few feathers falling out from his panicked struggle. He glanced from Integra to the Major, feeling the pain in his chest far outweigh the pain from his opened wounds. What was she saying? 

"Integra, what are you...?" he asked in a rough, confused whisper, his heartbreak showing in his voice. “But... I'm not pretending, Integra, you're my—we're mates, you can't—you can't fake that, right? Please, Integra!" he pleaded, looking more pitiful than ever, covered in his own blood and chains with an expression of sheer pain on his face. 

_ Oh, god,  _ thought Integra.  _ He doesn't... how could he not understand? How could he possibly think I would purposely say that? Why can't he see what I'm trying to do?  _ She bit her lip, looking upwards at the ceiling as if it would reveal to her a solution. "He's lying," she said tightly.

The Major gave an incredulous snort at Integra's rebuke, placing his hands in his pockets. "Well!" he began, circling the table again with his gaze holding Integra's. "Either you are both quite the actors, or someone is still giving me fibs. Though you both give quite the convincing performance… hm, hm." He tilted his head, considering Integra for a long moment. His snout flared, drinking in the scent of Integra's rage, though Alucard's was so strong it could hardly be discerned between them. "Zorin, my dear, another kick will do nicely. Don't hold back, or forget the claws, if you please!" Pausing, he smiled coldly down on Integra. "You think me a nothing more than a pig, hm? A boar? Do you suppose we can make your nemesis squeal louder than even I could?”

Doktor gave an excited giggle, more drool pooling at the corners of his wide mouth. "Aim for the wounds!" He cooed, squeezing his hands while his tail lashed ecstatically behind him. "Or the back, Wallachians have such sensitive backs! Oh, do hurry, Zorin!"

"The stomach!" Rip Van Winkle said loudly, egged on by the Doktor's excitement. She turned to her mate eagerly. "Zorin, darling, aim for the stomach! Let's get him bleeding again!"

"He'll bleed out for us, my love," said Zorin happily, turning to wind up another kick.

Alucard was too far lost in his grief to even react to Zorin's orders, his eyes focused pleadingly on Integra as she looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. He dropped his gaze, feeling too heartbroken to even prepare for the next kick.

_ I can't do this, _ thought Integra defeatedly, closing her eyes briefly in despair.  _ I can't break his heart like this, and I can't watch him take any more hits. _ "Don't!" she said loudly, opening her eyes wide in genuine panic. "Don't touch him!”

Alucard jerked his head up in confusion when Integra called out. "Integra, what...?" He mumbled, a spark of hope coming back to his eyes. His wings raised a little in anticipation and doubt—what was she doing?

Integra sighed in relief as Zorin ceased her movement. "Alucard, of course I care for you, you idiot!" she said desperately. "I'm sorry, I love you, I was just trying to help us find a way out of this, I know they’re going to use our bond against us!”

Alucard breathed a sigh of relief as Integra reassured him, but looked deeply contrite for spoiling her plan. "Integra, I'm sorry… I…” He shook his head in shame at his own stupidity.

Zorin paused, turning to look at Integra in faux surprise. "What am I hearing?" she said facetiously. "I am confused. Major, I thought she said she didn't care for the barbarian!"

The Major’s grin widened, revealing rows of sharp, strong teeth. His nostrils flared as he drew near, leering over the princess. "Oh?" he cooed, drawing so close that his hot breath touched Integra's cheek. "I heard the same thing, Zorin. It seems we found our fibber!" His hand shot out to grab Integra's chin between his claws, jerking her head closer to his. His snout twitched as he breathed in deep, drinking in all of Integra's fear and anger. "Ahh...I thought I smelled your sweet, sweet fear. Simply delicious! It would seem it is not all for yourself, is it? You were putting on a good show, too… if only your fool of a husband hadn't messed it all up.”

“Get the fuck away from her, bastard!" Alucard roared in rage, wings flaring with fury.

“Get your hands off of me, you filthy pig!" Integra snapped, wrinkling her nose and trying not to gag as she smelled the Major's breath. It smelled like flesh. "Fuck you," she spat, attempting to tug her chin away.  _ I'll kill him. I'm going to kill him. _

The Major released her chin carelessly and turned, grinning over at Zorin and Rip. "Well! Now that our suspicions have been confirmed, truly, I think it's time we begin! Shall we do eenie-meenie? It will be no fun if they are all wrapped up in their own pain and cannot watch their lover's!"

Both Zorin and Rip's eyes lit up at their leader's signal that it was time to start the main event. "Well, I want to—" began Rip. 

But Zorin put her hand up, and immediately her mate fell silent. "Well, we've seen the barbarian squirm," she said, looking at the Wallachian prince in disgust. Then she looked over at the Britannian princess, and her eyes lit up with cruel lust. "I want to see the pretty white dove in pain."

"You can go fuck yourself as well," replied Integra coolly, but her stomach twisted in knots.

Alucard glared at Zorin, his chest heaving with the force of his anger and near-blinding fear for his wife. "Don't you dare lay a hand on her, or I'll—"

"Or you'll what? Flap about like a mindless duck and shriek like a banshee? What could you do, boy? Nothing, I should think! Those manacles are on quite tight! Very well, Zorin… we'll begin with the dove!" The Major interrupted with a delighted laugh, snatching up one of Integra's hands and began squeezing her wrist in his meaty fist till it creaked under his grip. Ignoring Alucard's terrified yelling of Integra's name and thrashing about, he waved his free hand wide as if presenting a show.

Integra pursed her lips together, but she couldn't stop a soft grunt of pain from leaving her lips. She winced, fearing her wrist would break.

"How shall we begin, my friends? Shall we pull out her nails? Her fangs?" he asked aloud, grinning wide and his beady eyes flashing with malice. He cast his eyes at the Doktor. "Or should we be gracious and teach her a bit of Rhiner?”

"I will not allow your filthy language past my lips!" Integra shouted, clenching her jaw and speaking through gritted teeth as the Doktor giggled and left the room, returning quickly with what could only be a long leather whip.

"Yesss, but let me do it, Major," Zorin pleaded, stepping forward. 

The Major glanced down at Integra, his saliva-wet lips pressed together in a hard smile rather than his usual grin. He could smell the tension rolling off her in waves. "No? You will, I think, find yourself thinking differently in a moment." He cooed, as if speaking to a disobedient child. His grip on her wrist tightened impossibly further, his strength far from that of a regular organic creature, and he smiled at the next groan of pain he coaxed from the Princess’s lips. Just before he felt her wrist was about to crack under his thumb, he released it—Integra letting out a sigh of relief—and turned to face Zorin and Rip with a genial smile and a shake of his head. " _ Nein, nein _ , my dear Zorin, you know what we decided beforehand—Rip and yourself will handle the prince, and the good doktor and I shall take the princess, yes?”

Zorin pouted, folding her arms. " _ Ja _ , I know," she said reluctantly, not daring to speak against him any more. "My apologies, sir. I will make sure he witnesses the entire event!" At least she could watch the princess suffer.

“Good,” the Major said with a brisk nod before turning back to the princess. With deliberate tenderness, he picked up Integra's arm and spread her fingers. "Now...let's begin our lesson, shall we? You must remember this; there will be a test later!" With a sudden crack, he snapped her thumb forward with unnatural speed, pressing hard into her skin with his claw. His grin widened impossibly larger. " _ Eins _ ! That is 'one'. Repeat?" 

It was almost unfathomable to Integra, how it happened. One moment she was fine, then suddenly her thumb was hanging limp; she let out a single cry as her hand burst with pain, squirming on the surgical table in an effort to escape the sensation. "Fucking bastard!" she shouted as soon as she could regain speech. "You'll never get your poisonous words on my tongue!”

Alucard gave a cry of pain as if he had experienced his own finger being broken, tugging against his chains desperately. His wings flapped erratically against the floor as he struggled, feathers flying out of his sheer panic. "No! Fuck, you bastard— _ Integra _ !!"

"It doesn't look like he's going to be looking away anytime soon, Major," Zorin said loudly, punctuating the sentence with a laugh. She watched Integra's reaction with gusto as her mate oohed and aahed, licking her lips.

"No!!" Alucard shouted again at Integra's cry, his eyes welling with tears of horror and fear. This was only a prequel to what was to come, and it terrified him. "I'll kill you, you fucking pig! I'll rip your throat out with my teeth and eat your heart raw if you touch her again!!"

The Major tutted at Alucard's screaming and turned back to Integra with a smirk. "Never, hm? We shall see yet. Perhaps you're simply a slow learner..." He mused, forcing her fingers open again. "Now... _ eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf _ !" He barked, cracking Integra's fingers forward as if she was counting herself. He gave a manic little laugh and squeezed her wrist in his iron grip. "Remember and repeat,  _ meine leibling _ .”

Integra let out small cries of pain with each crack of her fingers, culminating in another moan when he squeezed her wrist again. Like a fool, she went to try and move her fingers in experimentation, and the pain was beyond belief. She whimpered, shaking her head at his request. "N-never," she repeated, but her voice sounded much less confident this time.

“Keep saying that, my dear,” the Major said. “Now,  _ Herr Doktor _ , would you kindly help me escort the princess to the floor? I simply can't get a good angle at her back like this,” he requested politely, pressing a button to release Integra's restraints. They slid back into the operating table with a quiet beep. "Come now, girl, we can continue your lesson!"

As soon as she was freed from the table, the Doktor moved to turn her around. She meekly followed, before letting out a roar of outrage and stepping back on the Doktor's foot, elbowing him hard in the face before turning to punch the Major with her good hand.

Immediately, Zorin leapt at the opportunity, grabbing Integra's wrist and yanking her to the ground as the lizard Doktor gave a whine of pain, clutching his sensitive nose in his claws as his tongue tentatively feeling around to see if Integra had broken anything. "Nice try, you boundback whore," Zorin said triumphantly. "Slippery, but not good enough."

Alucard snarled furiously, rising to a fevered pitch, his fingers clenching into fists around the grates. "Fuck you, you ugly bitch!!" he roared, rubbing his wrists raw with the effort of pulling against them. He was senseless to the pain when Integra was in was so much worse—and was about to get worse yet. A tear slipped down his cheek despite himself. "Integra!! Integra, gods, please, please don't touch her! Please!"

Still whimpering, the Doktor stepped over to Zorin and Integra with an angry frown and began to close the manacles around her wrists, ankles, neck, and wings—Integra snarled and fought against them as best she could, but it was hopeless. "Why don't we just bleed her out already? She'll only cause more trouble, and those wings of hers look delectable… I'm so hungry."

The Major shook his head, smiling pleasantly. "Thank you, Zorin. We have a slippery little boundback on our hands, indeed." He strode around Integra as if she was a museum attraction, drawing out his belt as his hooves clopped along the grated floor. "But no, we mustn't let such a fun little treat go to waste. There will be other winged ones, but when will we capture another princess of Britannia? She is to be savored, not fucked and thrown away like a cheap whore.  _ Ja _ ?" He smiled, giving a little nod. "Zorin, remove her shirt, would you? I need to survey my canvas."

Zorin looked elated. "With pleasure, my Major," she purred, stepping closer and kneeling so that she could run her hands up and down the princess's sides. "I'll savor you, don't worry."

Integra inhaled sharply. Just having her wings uncovered was excruciatingly embarrassing—she only uncovered them in private and comfortable gatherings. Now her shirt... she had nothing on under that shirt. Her armor provided enough support when it was fastened, and she never imagined that she would end up where she had. More than ever before, she wanted to beg for this charade to cease. But that would be showing weakness; something she absolutely refused to do. "I'll fucking kill all of you," she growled, desperate to coat her ever-rising panic with anger, pain, and bravado.

Rip watched this whole display with her beak pursed. 

The princess twitched and struggled to get away from her hands, and she chuckled. "Ticklish,  _ fraulein _ ?" Without another word, she let her claws out and grabbed onto the shirt before ripping it to pieces, leaving her bare and shivering in the cold air of the room. 

Integra hadn't the pride left to speak. She hung her head, closing her eyes and trying to block out everyone around her. Only Alucard was supposed to see her like this. Her old Britannian sensibilities came back, wondering if he would want to touch her after she had been seen by so many other, horribly prying eyes. If they managed to make it out of the hellhole they were in.

Alucard could only watch in mute horror as the beastmen descended upon his wife, his breath coming in stuttering pants as the fear of the immediate situation and the memories it dredged up took over his rational thoughts. "Get off of her!!" He roared, his face pale with panic and his wings beating wildly against their restraints as Zorin tore Integra's shirt away like it was wet paper. "Please, gods, please don't do this!! Integra!" His voice broke with a sob and he gnawed frantically at his handcuffs, his strong fangs cracking as he tried to tear away the metal with his teeth. "Let her go!”

"Oh, what majesty," sighed Rip Van Winkle, watching Alucard struggle with unhidden awe and longing. It was better than watching her mate fool around with a boundback. "What a monster of a man. I almost believe he could rip those handcuffs off with his teeth. Shush now, sweet Prince," she cooed, leaning down to inspect him more closely. "Don't hurt those beautiful fangs of yours.”

Alucard snarled through the tears on his face and the blood in his mouth as he yanked at the manacles on his wrists, praying to any god that would listen that they would stop and Integra would be free; he turned and snapped his jaws like a feral animal at Rip's approach, his teeth barely missing her fingers when they closed.

The Major chortled, clapping his hands. "Bravo, Zorin! What a swift execution! Such grace!" He praised.

Zorin practically purred. ”Thank you, sir," she said, pleased to be given another job to do that was related to the pretty princess and not her ugly husband.

The Major then clapped his hands briskly. “Now. I'll need you to hold aside her wings for me, make certain I have a good view of my work. I have such a clumsy aim, I wouldn't want to miss and skip ahead to the final course with the wings, now would I?"

Zorin nodded. She moved to face the princess, admiring her toned but slender physique before reaching over her shoulders and gripping her wings tightly, forcing them to spread apart.

_ Just let me be _ , thought Integra heavily.  _ I... I don't... I don't want to give him the satisfaction of begging, but I just want to be left alone... _ She was shocked out of her reverie when the lioness—who was far too close for comfort—took hold of her wings and spread them. She couldn't help the moan that slipped out, not even daring to struggle for fear of making it worse.

Zorin blinked, looking at the boundback princess, at her Major, and then back to the princess with a positively evil smile. "Sensitive, Princess?" she cooed, rubbing her thumbs along the edges of the inside of her wings. 

Integra whimpered, still shutting her eyes. She resorted to biting her lip in the hopes that it would stop the noises from coming out. It barely muffled them.

Dok gave a chuckle, bending down to closer inspect Integra's wings. "Ah, yes: Britannian wings are thought to be particularly sensitive due to their sustained disuse, causing great pain or pleasure when touched!" he explained for his fellow Rhinelanders, his tongue licking feverishly at his chin and nose as he passed the whip to his Major.

Shaking his head, the Major chuckled. "Will the wonders never cease?" He snorted, his snout wrinkling with amusement. "But let's not explore that just yet, Zorin. Just hold them steady while I work. Little dove? Let us begin. I will strike and you will count. No mistakes, or I shall have to begin over again!" The leather whip tightened between his hands as he discussed his plans, sounding like he was discussing the weather. 

"Stop... touching them," moaned Integra, as Zorin seemed to have casually disregarded her Major's orders in favor of either digging her thumbs into the wings or stroking them gently. The pleasure-pain was so distracting that Integra was not at all ready.

The whip came down with a resounding 'crack' quite suddenly, striking Integra's lower neck. "Oh damn, I seem to have missed. So clumsy!”

Red-hot pain licked at Integra’s neck and she yelped, struggling against the manacles holding her down. Tears formed in her eyes.  _ This... this can't go on. I need this to stop.  _ She knew what she had to do. Shame herself even more in front of the enemy. But it was better to shame herself like this instead of breaking down in sobs in front of them. She took a deep breath, dropping her head. " _ Eins _ ..." she growled quietly, hating herself for it.

"That's a good girl," murmured Zorin, leaning forward to touch her forehead to Integra's. "That's an obedient bitch."

Integra snarled weakly at her, but it was just her way of suppressing a sob.

The Major laughed aloud, a harsh, squealing sound that reverberated off the cells' walls. The Doktor giggled along with him, licking his wet lips furiously to prevent the drool from seeping out. "Excellent! I knew you were smarter than you looked!" The Major crowed, his voice garbled with pleasure.

“Gods, no, gods…” Alucard said in horror, before turning to Rip. ”You…tell them to get off of her!!" he hissed, blood and saliva splattering down his chin as he spoke before he lunged against his restraints for her throat again. "I'll fucking kill you!!"

Rip let out a squeal, backing up a few feet while still looking at Alucard in awe. "Are you jealous?" she whispered. "Jealous that they're paying attention to her and not you? Don't worry, my sweet prince. When this is over, and they've broken her down until there's nothing fuckable about her anymore, it's all going to be about you. Oh, I can't wait to get my hands all over you."

Snarling louder, Alucard gnashed his teeth at the heron-woman, his mind almost completely lost to his ferocious instincts, amplified by his inability to protect his mate. "You'll never break her, you fucking monsters! Never!!" he thundered back, his hands almost too wet with his own blood and sweat to grasp his chains. He gave a roar of commiseration as Integra screamed, a fresh wave of tears pouring down his cheeks. "Integra!! Gods, please stop!”

The Major sighed. ”Rip, shut that fool up somehow so I can hear the princess properly!" 

"Yes, Major!" said Rip, walking into the cell. Her eyes flashed dangerously and she grabbed Alucard by the shoulders and shoved him against the wall, straddling his waist. "Be quiet," she murmured. "Or your beautiful  _ fraulein _ will suffer twice the blows she's receiving now. Don't you love her? Don't you want to keep her from harm?" 

Alucard hissed in disgust, baring his bloodied fangs at Rip's intrusion of his space. However, before he could lunge forward to bite out the beastwoman's neck, her words gave him pause; even in his outrage he could recognize that causing more trouble on his side of the cell would manifest twicefold at Integra's expense. With a mournful whimper of defeat, he slumped against the wall, tears leaking steadily from his eyes when he shut them in a futile attempt to block out Integra's desperate shouts of pain—his entire body shuddered with sympathetic agony from their bond. "Yes, I do, so much, I’ll... I'll do anything… I'll do anything to keep her safe… please… please, let me do something to stop this..." he moaned, hanging his head.

"Good boy," cooed Rip, running her hands up his neck to cup his cheeks, wiping the tears away with her thumbs. "Good, good boy. Smart boy." She shushed him as he pleaded with her, running her hands through his hair now, kissing his forehead. "Shhh, barbarian prince. That's what you can do to help her. Just be quiet." 

The Major rose the whip again and brought it down with a sharp crack. "Hold her steady, Zorin!”

" _ Zwei _ !" Integra shouted desperately, arching her back again as the pain seared through her and a few tears escaped from her eyes.  _ Just let this end, God, let this end... _

"Yes, sir!" said Zorin obediently, smiling as she breathed her rancid, flesh-smelling breath into Integra's face. She gripped Integra's wings tighter, pulling another whimper out of the Princess. "You're beautiful when you're in pain," she said, brushing her lips against hers. 

"Y... you'll be dead," Integra said weakly, shuddering at the feeling of the lioness’s mouth on hers. "When I leave here, you'll be dead..." 

"You're not leaving ever, sweet  _ fraulein _ ," Zorin informed her gleefully.

"Zorin is right, little dove!" The Major taunted, pressing a sharp hoof into her lower back to shove Integra against Zorin.

Integra grunted as she was shoved towards the lioness, her naked chest hitting Zorin's clothed one. She moved to pull away, but Zorin held her fast by the wings, keeping Integra's head tucked into the crook of her neck and rubbing against her rough fur. She inhaled deeply, smelling Integra's fear, humiliation, and the beautiful rich scent of her blue blood. "Mmmm," she purred, leaning down to nibble gently on one of Integra's ears with her terrifyingly sharp teeth. "Delicious little dove..." 

The Major grinned widely at the blue-bleeding gashes that he had made on the princess's smooth, dark spine, his snout snuffling with every delicious inhale. "You're quite the beauty… why, I might even consider you as a candidate for a concubine! Wouldn't you like that?" He burst into high squeals of laughter, throwing back his head as a thought occurred to him. Eventually he calmed, still chortling every so often. "I just thought—our litter would be just like the saying—'when pigs fly'! Little winged piglets, how quaint...!" He shook his head, wiping a tear of laughter from his eyes. “Ah... there'll be time for that later. Now, where were we? I've forgotten… oh! Never mind." He struck down again, cutting a deep line into her shoulderblade near her left wing.

Integra shuddered wildly, imagining herself enslaved to such a monster. She thought of the last time she considered that and almost laughed; if only she were back to that wedding! To that first week! Even to the Red Death... the Red Death would be so much more preferable to this. She would rather die than be fucked by this monster, than bear this monster's monstrous children.  _ Alucard, I'd rather die than be unfaithful to you. _ The next crack of the whip came, and she almost forgot to respond. " _ Drei _ !" she called out after a moment.

Alucard gave a weakened growl, hanging his head lower as the tears dripped down his face. He had never felt more useless, more agonized in his entire life. He couldn't bare to look at his wife's suffering; he could only pray that it would end soon, or that they would divert their torture to him instead. "Integra..." he whimpered, his shoulders shaking with sobs.

Integra shook her head against Zorin's neck, trying to block out the thought of Alucard sobbing, all because of her.

Laughing his snorting laugh, the Major glanced over at Alucard's crumpled form. "Ah! See how bitterly the monster weeps. I hadn't thought those Wallachian devils could shed a tear! He must truly love you, little dove, to sob so earnestly." He cooed, giving Integra's back another push with his hoof, making sure to drag the sharp heel of it down her back and eliciting a tortured groan from Integra, before drawing away. Sighing, the pigman handed his whip back to Dok. "But I think, my dears, that we must leave them to commiserate. We wouldn't want to play all our cards on the first day, do we? No, no...we need to savor them, like fine wine over many a fortnight till they, alas, spoil away in our grasp! Come, come, everyone! I think the chef has prepared a fine young calf for our supper tonight." He waved his underlings along toward the door, pressing out a code before it slid open. Dok slithered along behind him, glancing over his shoulder.

The amount of pain Integra was in was like nothing she'd ever experienced; she nearly sobbed in relief when the Major began leaving. _ Thank God. Thank God. _

Zorin sighed in disappointment. tugging on her wings until she was gasping. "It looks as if our time together has been cut short, pretty dove," she said, leaning in to lick Integra’s face. Her tongue was rough, feeling as if it could peel off skin if applied with enough pressure. She placed another kiss on Integra's lips, moving her hands to caress her breasts before sitting back and standing up. "I'll be back, though. Coming, Major! Rip," she barked, turning to her mate with a mixture of disdain and jealousy on her face. "Stop playing with the barbarian."

Rip looked up from Vladislav, pouting in disappointment. "Fine." She hopped off the prince's lap, blowing him a kiss before skipping out of the room, Zorin close behind. The door slid shut, leaving the married couple alone in their separate cells.

Not a minute later, Integra fell apart.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You think-" Integra began, before laughing weakly. "You still think we're getting out of here alive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING for sexual assault, both actions and mentions. 
> 
> FYI: there will only be one more chapter like this. Our whole fic will not devolve into torture (thank god).

Integra's body started shaking. She fell apart in a mess of silent sobs, arms wrapped around her bare torso in an effort to self-soothe. Little whimpers of pain, fear, and humiliation escaped her lips; her fingers and back were bleeding messes.

Alucard choked back his tears and crawled as close to Integra as his restraints would allow, his fingers just barely brushing the cell's bars. He snarled, strained harder against them, and his wet wrists slipped a little farther through the manacles; he finally grabbed the cell's bars, reaching for Integra in a desperate need to see, touch, comfort her. "Integra!! Integra, gods, are you—gods, I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry, Integra, please—" he pleaded senselessly, heedless of his open wounds spilling too much blood—Integra was more important than his own safety would ever be. Her tiny whimpers felt like lances in his chest. “Integra... beloved, my beautiful beloved angel, please… please let me see you."

"A- Alu-" Integra began, before shaking her head. "I... I shamed you. I shamed us b-both." She hissed in embarrassment at the way her voice was quivering, before turning to look at him. Her normally icy eyes were wide and watery, full of pain and guilt.

"No, no, no, Integra, you haven't, you haven't at all, please don't say that," Alucard assured her desperately when she met his eyes, his fingers clutching the cell's bars. The sight of his wife, so strong and proud, crawling and bloodied, made him feel such shame for being unable to protect her that two more tears streaked down his cheek.

Clumsily she crawled towards the edge of her cell—unable to use the damaged hand to support herself—until she could move no further against her chains. With every movement of her back, she winced. "It's not your fault. Alucard, I'm so sorry." He had been such a good and devoted husband to her; what had she given him in return?

He pressed his forehead against the cold bars, his breath hitching; every movement seemed to give her such pain. "Please don't move, you're hurt… gods, Integra, my heart's darling, what have they done to you?" he whispered, stretching one wing forward so its longest feathers brushed Integra's injured hand, moving it gently back and forth. "Don't apologize, don't be sorry… you're alright, it's alright. My poor Integra, my dearest Integra..."

Integra inhaled with a deep, shuddering breath. But the movement alone made her whine in pain, due to her back. It killed her to see Alucard looking so broken; he had always been such a steady, reliable presence in her life. He was _crying_ . "It hurts so m-much," she said stiffly, trying to wipe her tears away with her good hand. "They're... they keep touching me, Alucard... I feel their hands all over me..." She shook her head, her breathing turning into soft sobbing. She sighed as she felt his wing brushing her hand. "I... he wants to... did you hear... _Alucard_ ," she moaned, straining for his touch.

Alucard made a pained noise at his wife's whimpers. "I know, beloved, I know, I'm so sorry..." He soothed uselessly, wiping his eyes sharply with his arm; it streaked blood across his face, but he didn't seem to notice. His eyes searched the wounds on Integra's body, his mind racing to do something to ease her pain. "It's alright, Integra, it's alright, I'll get us out of here before—I won't let him." His feathers shook as they brushed her hand, trying to convey all his support through the faintest touch. He drew in a shuddering breath. "He won't, he won’t... here, love, give me your hand? I’ll... I'll try to seal the wounds."

Integra reached forward as much as she could, before giving up and shaking her head while pulling back her hand. "You can't, Alucard," she said, in a clearer voice but also rather bleakly. "You can't reach me. And you can't stop him. He can do whatever he wants to me." More tears started to fall, and she didn't bother to wipe them off. "And then they're going to do whatever they want to you. And then... well. I suppose the only comfort is that at this rate, they'll have to let you die." She sighed shakily, wrapping her arms around herself again. "He'll keep me alive to rape me and have his horrible children, but he'll let you die."

"Integra..." Alucard's hands slid down the bars before they clutched around them with renewed vigor. Her words felt like daggers in his chest. "Integra, don't talk like that!" He pleaded, one hand slipping slightly free of his manacles, slick with blood and sweat, and extended to Integra, his fingers trembling with exertion and emotion. "I won't let that happen to you—I won't let them debase you like that. I'll—I promise, I'll kill you myself before he even tries to..."

He couldn't finish the sentence; the thought was too repulsive to even speak aloud. He wouldn't allow what had happened to him when he was a child to happen to Integra, with far worse consequences.

Integra wasn’t listening. Her voice was horribly matter-of-fact, while her eyes were wide with panic. "Do you think he'll take time to ease his way in, or just rip me open?" She thought of the pig-man's horrible body on hers—in hers—and shuddered, hissing as the movement aggravated the wounds.

Another tear rolled down Alucard’s cheek as he watched Integra decline into a panic. His feathers brushed her battered knuckles soothingly. "Shh, shh, now, beloved, it was an empty threat… please, Integra… we'll be rescued soon enough, far sooner than you think. Pip and Seras saw us, they'll be here any moment now. It'll be alright, you'll see. Please… give me your hand."

Integra let out a sigh, shaking her head again. "Pip and Seras didn't see where we went," she said, before scooting minutely closer to the edge of her cell, as far as the manacles would let her. "Alucard... I can't reach..."

Alucard shook his head, determinedly meeting Integra's eyes though his were red-rimmed and tired. "Help will come, we'll be freed, the beastmen will be slaughtered, and I'll never leave your side again,” he told her with stubborn determination, his fingers curling into the grates.

Integra stuck her hand through the bars again, craning it as far as she could. But she and Alucard were still an agonizing inch apart. She laughed humorlessly. "They thought of everything, didn't they?"

Alucard nodded grimly. “Monsters, the lot of them. Like demons from an old legend… well. At least I can lay a feather on you… sort of like being able to hold your hand, right?" he chuckled dryly, resting his head against the cold grates but kept his eyes on Integra. His feather continued to brush back and forth against Integra's knuckles. His weak smile dropped, and he sighed again. "Integra, I’m... I'm so sorry about this. This is my fault; if I hadn't rushed into the battle like a fool, ignoring the general, I wouldn't have gotten injured and we wouldn't have to leave the field."

Integra watched his feathers and tried to regain her sense of calm. "Don't be ridiculous, Alucard," she said calmly. "It's my fault. You reacted naturally to a horrific and emotional trigger than they gave you. I was the idiot who took us to a remote spot, who let their guard down and walked into an ambush."

“It's... it's the beastmen's fault. Not ours,” Alucard decided.

Integra nodded. After a moment of silence she looked around, not seeing any windows. "I wonder how long it's been. Since they put us in here."

Alucard sighed wearily. “I'd guess we've been here around a day—a soporific drug wouldn't last more than that on me."

"I just want to be in your arms again, Alucard,” Integra said suddenly, eyes burning with tears again. “I want to be in your bed, again. I want to wake up and have this whole nightmare be just that. A nightmare. And I want you to shake me awake and ask me what I was dreaming about. And then I'll tell you, and you'll kiss me and reassure me that..." She trailed off when she felt the lump in her throat, taking in another shuddering breath. "That everything is ok."

Alucard felt a tightness in his throat as Integra spoke. His feathers stilled a moment on her knuckles before brushing over them again, wishing more than anything that he could put his whole wings around her and shield her from the world. He wanted what Integra wanted with a fervor that made his chest ache. "I want that too, Integra," he replied in a weak voice, his eyes burning with tears again. "I want that more than anything in the world."

His wounds were beginning to throb in protest of his stretching out, but he couldn't bare to be an inch further away from Integra than he already was. He shifted slightly and winced before meeting Integra's eyes again. "But you know, it’s... it is going to be okay. I won't let it end any other way, Integra. The gods wouldn’t... they wouldn't throw a beautiful life like yours away like this." He looked over Integra's wounds, eyebrows furrowing. "You need to rest while you can. I'll keep watch and wake you if anything happens."

Integra’s eyelids _did_ feel somewhat heavy—despite all the torture keeping her awake, the drug inside her had not quite worn off yet. Now that there had been relative peace for a while... "I do feel a bit tired," she admitted, leaning more heavily against the bars. "But I'm not sure... with my back like this, I'm not sure I can..." She trailed off, laying down on the floor and resting her head in her hands so that she was facing Alucard. "Please don't hesitate... t'wake me," she slurred, making sure that Alucard was the last thing she saw before closing her eyes. In a matter of minutes, her breathing slowed and the expression on her face turned peaceful.

Alucard sighed in relief as Integra's eyes drifted shut, the stress and pain on her face falling away with sleep. "I love you. Sleep well." He whispered, resting his feathers against the back of her neck and waiting a long moment before finally allowing himself to fall apart now that Integra wasn't watching; he bowed his head against the bars and wept silently, his mind filled with the horrors of what was to come for Integra.

 

* * *

 

The prince had spent the entire night praying to every deity he could remember, watching Integra, and investigating his cage. No matter how hard he looked, it seemed like there was no discernible way in or out of the prison block but the sliding doors, and they were shut impossibly tight, locked with a keypad that Alucard didn't know the code.

He was startled out of his examination by a sudden thudding noise and a square in the ceiling opening up. Seconds later two beastmen, a dove and a large black hawk—both decapitated, their wings torn off—fell down onto the grates between the cells with a sickening, organic thud. Alucard got to his feet and wrinkled his nose at the sight. "Nice symbolism. Assholes," he growled aloud, stepping forward to look over what must've been intended as a meal for he and Integra. "Integra? It's… breakfast. I think," he called, pulling the smaller dove over for himself.

Integra, to her own surprise, had a very pleasant dream. She was back in their bathroom in Wallachia, in the hot-springs bath. Alucard was massaging her shoulders.

Then she was awaken when a loud thud interrupted her sleep, and she jolted awake only to moan loudly. The pain in her demolished hand and wounded back returned now that she was conscious, and a few tears leaked from her eyes without her control.

Alucard eyed Integra worriedly from his cell. His heart clenched at her tears, but he said nothing, not wanting to hurt her pride.

Integra sniffed, wiping the tears away with her good hand before regarding the corpses on the ground. _I can't believe I'm entrapped by such melodramatic fools._ "You have to be kidding me." She wrinkled her nose, reaching out to prod the black hawk. "I'm not eating this," she decided, sitting back in her cell so that her restraints weren't tugging at her anymore.

Alucard sighed. "I know, it's ridiculous...not to mention disgusting. But we need to keep our strength up for when we can escape, or at least fight back," he reasoned, though he looked down at the dove in his cage with a frown. It was repulsive, to be sure. He lifted one of its legs and let it fall with a limp plop. A shudder ran down his spine.

"I'd rather starve to death than put one of their kind inside me," said Integra point blank, watching Alucard examine his dove with her nose still wrinkled.

"If nothing else, we can take the bones out and use them as shivs in a pinch, or store them in the back of our mouths to choke on them if… well,” he finished weakly, not wanting to consider that second possibility just yet.

Integra nodded, her expression solemn. "Those are both excellent ideas. I'll cut this beastman open, but I'm not eating him."

Alucard nodded in understanding and began to gnaw at the dove's leg, convincing himself that, were he well-fed and healed, he could tear his way out of his chains and slaughter the lot of the beastmen, saving Integra. His cracked teeth stung painfully as he bit down, but once he hit flesh he couldn't help but realize how hungry he was. He tore off a strip of meat with his teeth and chewed. “Did you sleep alright?” he asked after he swallowed. “How's your back and hand?"

Integra winced as she watched her husband gnaw on the leg of the creature. She knew it wasn't cannibalism, and she knew it was a ploy to repulse him to her, but it disturbed her all the same. She shrugged listly. "I... slept well. I had a good dream. Surprisingly. And my wounds are killing me. I don't know which one is worse; they're two different and equally horrible feelings. I can't see my back, but from the looks of my hand, it's getting infected." She held up the useless limb with puffed and disfigured digits. "If we do get out of here, it's probably going to need to come off, Alucard." She tried to sound blasé about the premise.

Alucard paled, nearly dropping the dove. "Gods, Integra, that looks...we'll need to have it checked right away by a doctor once we get home." His eyebrows furrowed and he looked downward at his meal, blood staining his beard and steadily dropping down onto his pants leg. He pulled out several bones and stored them in his pocket. "It can be salvaged, though. I've seen far worse be recovered."

"Did someone mention needing a doctor?" said a familiar, mocking voice; the door slid open and the Major paraded through with his underlings at his heels.

Integra immediately flinched and scooted back slightly, covering her naked chest, glaring at the beastmen walking in. Alucard snarled dangerously.

Neither reaction fazed the Major, who continued, "I trust your breakfast was...tasteful?" He chortled as Dok slithered past him with a small case that clattered as he walked. "Little dove, you look worse than your counterpart in your husband's arms! Dok, give her a little shot of medicine, will you?"

"Aye, Major. Hold still, girl." Dok commanded as he drew close to Integra, drawing a needle out of his case.

Her eyes widened. "Like hell I'm letting you put that inside me," she said hoarsely. But before she could resist, Zorin leapt at the chance to get behind her and grab her arms, lifting one in the air for the Doktor to use.

The needle felt like a normal needle going in, and at first when he pushed the liquid inside of her she felt nothing. Then Integra felt a white-hot heat explode on all the injured parts of her, especially her hand—Alucard threw aside the dove and beat his wings desperately, eyes wide in horror as he was too terrified for Integra's safety to even speak.

Integra doubled over as best she could in Zorin's grip, grunting as she felt her skin knit back into place and her fingers popping up to be straight again. Pus leaked out of them, returning them to their typical slimness, before immediately evaporating. In a manner of minutes, it was if the pain had never been there; any pain at all. Her hand and back were pristine again.

Alucard’s expression turned from fear to shock when he realized what had happened. "Integra, are you alright?" He couldn't help but ask, eyes wide.

"I'm fine," said Integra hoarsely, feeling the fingers of her once-injured hand carefully. "Everything's fine." It should have been good news, but it made Integra's heart sink. _They can keep us here and torture us forever_ , she thought.

Before Alucard could ask more, Dok had slithered up behind him and jabbed him with the same needle before leaping away. A bone-deep burning sensation centered in his teeth, leg and abdomen overcame him and made him gasp with pain, doubling over. He watched with horror as the wound on his stomach scabbed over and closed up with a hiss of steam.

"There! Now, isn't that better?" the Major cooed, smiling between the couple. "It is similar to a myth that you have, perhaps, heard before. Once upon a time, a man—a fool, really—went directly against the orders of the gods and gave the first gift of fire to mankind, fulfilling his pitiable hero complex. Of course, the gods punished him for his hubris, but do you know how he was punished? He was chained to a rock and had his liver pecked out by vultures, day in and day out, only to have the liver grow back again at daybreak, and so on. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

Integra rolled her eyes at the Major's speech, sitting back leisurely as much as she could without brushing her naked back against the lioness's body. "Everyone knows about Prometheus," she informed the pigman condescendingly. "You're hardly portraying yourself as an intellectual right now. And what was our hubris? Wanting to kill you? I take it your metaphor means that you think of yourself as a god? How pathetic. How _delusional_."

"Compared to you, Princess, we are gods," said Zorin, shaking Integra harshly by the arms. "And you are our pretty little plaything. Don't act so superior when you're disgracing your people as we speak. Showing your bare wings and breasts for the world to see? Not exactly the Britannian way, is it?"

Integra flushed with anger and shame, opening her mouth to speak.

But the Major cut her off. "Yes, yes, delusional we may be but the metaphor, I think, is still fitting. As Zorin said, we are gods compared to you; our little angels fallen from grace, powerless against our might, bound to suffer and suffer until you crumble like clay in our hands, all used up and alone in death," he mused, circling around the room with a faraway look in his sharp, beady eyes. Then he clapped his hands, smiling widely. “But I digress! I trust you are both rested up for the long day ahead! We have so many fun activities for you today, Crowned Prince Vladislav!"

Integra’s eyes grew wide with alarm. _Not Alucard. You can't touch him._ "W-wait," she said, trying to make her tone casual. "You're giving up on me so soon, Pigman? And here I thought you were going to try and break me. I'm hardly broken. You failed," she added, her tone feigning triumph.

The Major turned his gaze back of Integra with another little laugh. "Your resilience is admirable, little princess, and truly, I can't wait to make you 'eat those words', as they say in Britannia...but alas, it is not on schedule for today. No, no, you mustn't be greedy, princess; it's your husband's turn today. We'll call it punishment for his little plan to sharpen those bones in his pocket for weapons, hm? Rip, Zorin, my dear lieutenants… inspire me, won't you?"

Alucard snarled ferociously and beat his wings in a gesture of aggression. He was hardly afraid of a beating by whip; pain was far from a foreign concept to him. The medicine had healed and invigorated him, resilient against any physical wounds to come. "Lay a finger on me and you'll lose it, you devils. Come and show me your worst."

Zorin and Rip looked at each other in delight—especially Rip, who giggled in excitement as she watched Zorin throw Integra to the ground as if she was nothing more than trash. It was her time to shine, now; her time to make her mate jealous and get a taste of the barbarian prince. "Yes, Major," they said in unison.

Zorin entered first, circling around the prisoner to kneel behind him. She adjusted his manacles so that his hands were bolted to the floor, leaving him absolutely unable to move them. She took hold of his shoulders, squeezing them tightly. "If you hurt my mate, I'll return the favor to yours tenfold," she hissed.

Alucard glared over his shoulder at Zorin, fighting the urge to snap his jaws; his shoulders shook with barely contained rage under her clawed hands. "Cowardly bitch. If you were a true warrior, you wouldn't need a hostage; you'd fight me yourself," he hissed, flaring his wings uselessly while his hands curled into fists against the grates.

"And if _you_ were a true warrior you wouldn't have been captured in the first place, you idiot," returned Zorin.

Rip smiled wide, showing her pointed teeth under her beak. She sidled into the cell, waiting until Zorin had restrained Vladislav to slip into his lap again. "Hello, my love," she purred, kissing his forehead and nose. "Have you missed me? I've missed you..." She put a hand on his cheek, before sliding it down his neck.

Alucard stiffened with disgust as, wrinkling his nose when she kissed it; her beak was hard and cold against his face.

Integra's hackles rose, and her fangs elongated as the two beastwomen descended on her husband. "I'll slaughter you," she snarled. "I'll cut off your limbs. Get off my husband, you whores." Her stomach was churning; she didn't know if she could bear watching him cry out in pain.

"Don't be greedy, little dove. You'll get your just desserts in due time." The Major chuckled, patting Integra's head as if she was nothing more than a disobedient but harmless lapdog. "For now, sit back and watch the show!"

Suddenly, Alucard’s heart rate began to climb with anxiety as the creature's hand slid down to rest on his chest and he couldn't pull away, almost just like how— _No, it's nothing like that. Calm down. They're trying to unnerve you, they couldn't know. Calm down_. "Get off of me, harlot," he snapped, drawing his head away from Rip as far as he could. "Integra, don't—don't look, it's fine, I'm—" He broke off to draw in an anxious breath when he tried to move his hands only to remember they were held down tight, like then. The scene before his eyes seemed to flicker and the manacles were suddenly heavy, scarred-knuckle hands, gripping his wrists. He blinked hard against them and snarled. "The only thing I've missed is the blood of your brethren in my mouth, filthy beast."

Integra frowned as the two women seemed to be doing anything but hurting him; sure, they were riling her up with their touches, but it seemed to be nothing too harmful. But the way Alucard was reacting… _What happened to him? What is that heron bitch talking about?_ It was both terrifying and infuriating that these beastmen could know more about her husband than she did. "Alucard, don't listen to her!" she called out helplessly.

"Is everything ok, Vladislav?" Rip purred, moving her hand lower and lower before she found the hem of his shirt. She slipped her hand underneath the thin fabric and hummed pleasurably when she found smooth, occasionally scarred skin stretched over firm muscle. "This is a body made to be touched," she murmured, a bit of saliva leaking from the corners of her mouth. "Made to be loved. That's what he thought, I'm sure. So many years ago. Am I right?"

"What the fuck are you—" Alucard began, but broke off with a choked noise. _They can't know. She couldn't know, how could she know? No, no, this doesn't make sense—!_ His mind was a cacophony of horrible thoughts and memories, warping the hand on his chest to feel much wider, with blunter nails. His chest was a boy's again, prominent birdbone-thin ribs under such a strong hand, a hand he thought would only kill him—

He drew in a strangled breath, shaking his head to try to clear the vision. _It’sot back then, I'm not a boy anymore—_ His red eyes were wide with horror as he looked down at Rip's salacious grin. "No, you're—you're wrong, it's not, you're not—get off of me," he said as he tried to make his voice commanding, but it came out in little more than a thin hiss, his wings beating ineffectually.

"Oh my," said Rip with a giggle, watching his every expression intently. "It seems like I may be upsetting you. Is it really a bad thing, when someone wants to touch you, Vladislav? Vladislav, are you listening? Don't you like to be touched?" The hand under his shirt moved up to stroke his pectoral muscles, pinching each nipple absentmindedly. Her other hand went lower, reaching his groin and squeezing it. "You're a good boy, Vladislav."

Alucard gave an uncharacteristically pitiful whimper and shook his head. "N-no, I don't—I don't, not by you, stop it—!!" he tried to demand but again his voice failed him, sounding less and less like the war general he was and more of the frightened boy he had been. A cold sweat broke out on his skin as he tried to pull away from Rip's touch, giving a terrified whine as he grabbed him through his pants and spoke, ad verbatim, what that beast had said to him all those years ago, the monster that had given him his first taste of how cruel humanity could truly be, what pain really was.

He whimpered again, his whole body trembling like a leaf with fear he hadn't felt in so long. How they could possibly know his most fatal weaknesses was impossible to comprehend—had they been there? Had they seen everything and didn't stop it? "Stop it! I—I don't want this, I don't want you, please don't—!" His voice was quavering like a boy's and his eyes watered with the fear of what was coming.

"Stop it!" shouted Integra, moving forward until she strained her restraints. She realized now that they knew very well that her husband could handle physical pain; instead they were doing something far more nefarious to him. "Do you beastmen have no morals? No limits? Stop this!” She heard her husband regressing back into a child, and tears prickled in her eyes. She was failing her mate.

The Major laughed his squealing laugh, patting Integra's head again. "Oh-ho! Look at your fearless husband now, little dove, trembling like a newborn hatchling! What horrors must lurk in that small mind of his? Let's see, shall we?" he taunted, curling a lock of her hair around his finger as he smiled down at her. "Morals and limitations are not for men of science like us, my _fraulein_. We are interested only in the exertions, pushing past the limits of what a creature should logically be prepared to stand! After all, if we kept to regulations, where would progress come, hm?”

"Shut up, you monster!" Integra snapped back at him, trying to shake her head to get his hand off of her. "Fuck you and your progress; I swear to all the gods that I'm going to send all of you to hell. Alucard, don't listen to her, please. I'm here, baby, I'm here. It's ok, it's going to be alright.

Rip couldn't have been more pleased at the way such a strong, handsome man was breaking down beneath her. Even Zorin looked proud of her prowess, and nothing pleased her more than the approval of her mate. She leaned in, licking a stripe up the barbarian prince's neck before gripping him tighter. "Oh, _Mein Gott_! You're so big," she said happily. "A body made to be touched, as I said." She looked down at his neck and suddenly her smile changed to a glower; she saw his mate's mark on him. "Disgusting..."

Alucard's breathing was escalating quickly as Rip's touches grew more bold—before they turned to ice in his lungs when Rip grabbed him tighter. A full-body shiver of terror ran through him, completely petrified by the all too familiar violation. They had struck his Achilles' Heel, transporting him back to when he was a powerless boy of 9 with the repetition of that phrase. A tear leaked out, falling onto Rip's hair. "No, I don't want this—I don't want it, let go—!!" He whimpered, straining at his restraints uselessly as the heron-woman-man-assassin held him down, every touch feeling like a scalding knife in his body just like before.

Integra was still speaking. “Focus on the present, baby; focus on me,” she begged. “Can you hear my voice? Focus on my voice. I love you." Suddenly, she hissed and attempted to clap a hand over the mark of her neck; looking closer, she saw that Rip had sunk her sharp teeth into Alucard's neck, right where her mark was. She cried out wordlessly in a mixture of rage and sorrow.

Rip groaned blissfully, rolling her eyes back at the taste of his blood. Zorin quickly grabbed onto his hair, pulling it firmly so that her mate was in no danger of getting bitten herself.

Alucard gave a choked cry and began to thrash wildly, blindly away from the pain, his wings beating hard enough against their restraints that feathers began to fall out. "Please stop please stop please stop please stop stop stop—!!" the once-proud prince pleaded in a petrified whimper until he could speak no more, his tears and hyperventilation making him break down into hysterical wheezing; the breakdown was complete, and he was lost entirely to his trauma, gagging and shivering like the frightened child he was.

"No!" cried Integra, bruising her wrists and neck horribly from the way she was pulling at her restraints. "Alucard! Alucard!" she called out helplessly, wanting nothing more than to take him in her arms, holding him and kiss him and nuzzle him until every trace of pain was wiped away from his usually proud face. "Alucard, baby, listen to me." But she couldn't tell him he was safe, now could she? He wasn't safe. Neither of them were safe. The love of her life was in agonizing pain in front of her, and all she could do was watch and suffer.  

The Major's eyebrows rose in surprise for a moment before he burst into high peals of mocking laughter, clutching his rotund stomach and squealing shriekishly with the force of his amusement. The Doktor giggled along, licking at his drooling lips. "Oh _mein gott,_ how the mighty have fallen! It just goes to show; the larger they are, the harder they fall, does it not, my princess?" The Major guffawed, slapping his knee. "I have never seen such a ridiculous display in all my life, and I have lived so many many years! _Gott_ … I have not laughed so hard, either..." He wiped his eyes, giggling, "Rip, Zorin; that is enough for now. Leave the little boy to his tears. It will not be any fun later if he reverts too far."

"You heard the Major, darling," said Zorin, looking down at her mate in jealousy. "Get off of the barbarian dog."

Rip unhooked her beak from Alucard's neck, sighing and licking up the last drops of his blood that escaped. "Very well. It doesn't look like he's interested right now, anyway." She winked at him—of course he was unresponsive—and got to her feet, admiring her work. "I'll be back later, _liebling_ , don't worry." She and Zorin moved to stand beside the Major, looking at both Integra and Alucard's distress gleefully.

Now freed from his attacker, Alucard curled up into a shivering heap as best he was able in his restraints, covering himself with his wings as he sobbed and choked. "Don't don't don't don't don't..." he whimpered senselessly between deep, painful gasps, gripping his own horns and he wept. He couldn't think of anything else but the scorching, wrong pain in his neck and hands, clawed and blunt, all over him, holding him down so they could take him whenever they pleased. The fear and shame was more excruciating than any physical pain they could've inflicted on him. He wanted his mother. He wanted Mircea. He wanted Integra.

The Major tilted his head this way and that, observing Rip's work appreciatively before looking at his pocket watch with a grin. "Why, Rip, you worked so quickly that brunch won't even be finished cooking yet! A testament to your talent and the barbarian's weakness of mind both, I suppose. You'll have an extra serving of sausage for this, my dear." He praised, smoothing a heavy palm down her crest and hair with a chuckle. "Come now! There's nothing more to do today." The pigman announced, leading his parade of abominations from the cell.

"Oh, thank you, Major," purred Rip, pleased as punch with the attention she was receiving. "It was my pleasure, believe me." She and Zorin followed him out of the cell, leaving the unlucky couple to their own devices.

"Alucard," Integra said softly as soon as they were gone, still straining against her restraints. "Alucard. My love. Please. Please look at me. You're safe now, she's gone. It was just a beastwoman, Alucard, that's all. She's gone now. It's you and me, my love. I love you so much." 

Alucard's wings trembled as he fought to regain his breath, control his tears; he curled further into himself when the door slid shut with a beep. He froze at the sound of Integra's voice calling his name— _Not Vladislav, Alucard_ —soft and soothing to his panicked mind, and relaxed ever so slightly. He squeezed his eyes shut, drawing in a shuddering breath as his thoughts slowly began to arrange themselves in the present. Integra was here. Integra was here, and the beastwoman-assassin man was gone.

"Integra," he whispered brokenly from under his wings, which still shook violently around him, "Integra, how did they know that? They were there and they didn't stop it, they just watched and then they did it to me too..." he clutched harder at his horns, coughing as his breath hitched.

Integra sighed in relief and sagged against her restraints as Alucard seemed to relax and return to her. "They weren't there," she said softly. "They weren't there; somehow they found out about what happened and triggered a flashback." Her hands were itching to scratch comfortingly at his wings.

Alucard shook his head, suddenly exhausted, dizzy, and nauseous. His wings pressed closer around him but he tilted his head so he could meet Integra's eyes, tears still leaking steadily down his face. "Integra...she ruined it, too, the mark..." He scratched clumsily at the blood on his throat, trying to scrub it off his skin somehow. His breath hitched. "She almost ruined me all over again, how could… Integra, I'm so sorry..."

Integra’s face darkened. "We'll put it back," she promised, a growl in her throat before she softened her expression and tone. "Alucard, my love, you were never ruined. Do you hear me? Never. Just because someone... did something to you. It doesn't make it your fault, and it doesn't ruin you. I love you so much.”

Alucard drew in another, more stable breath as Integra talked him down, his wings slowly unfurling; a few more feathers dropped to the grates with the movement. "But how could they have...cI don't know how they knew..." He mumbled, trailing off with a sigh though his hands didn't stop scratching at the jagged bitemark on his neck. He rubbed his eyes against his sleeve and choked back another sob as she reassured him; he didn't deserve Integra as his wife or his mate, such a pure and supportive and beautiful woman—she didn't deserve to be here with him, a coward, and these horrific beastmen. Having such a complete breakdown from fear—not anger or grief—was practically unheard of in Wallachia, much less in front of one's mate or enemies, and he felt shame compounded on his already frail nerves.

But she said she loved him, even in spite of seeing him fall apart so completely. A sob of disbelief and adoration escaped him; he really didn't deserve her. One wing tentatively unfolded from around him and stretched out to touch Integra's hand, hoping she would take it, that she still loved—or pitied—him enough to touch him. "I love you too, Integra," He croaked, edging against his restraints so he could be close as possible to Integra. "I—I love you so much, and I'm… I'm so sorry."

Integra  bit her lip angrily as she saw him sobbing, scratching at that damned bitemark. "Alucard," she said hoarsely. How long had she been feeling nauseated for? And dizzy? She suddenly realized that was one of the physical reasons why she was feeling so awful. "I'm so proud of you for hanging on like that." She reached out and touched his wing in return, happily stroking it gently. "I love you. Don't apologize."

Alucard sighed with relief as Integra touched his wing; the touch was faint, but he imagined the warmth of her fingers like they were on his skin and it soothed him immensely. "Thank you, Integra. You're… you're more than I deserve."

A faint purr rumbled out of his throat in a subconscious effort to soothe them both and he edged closer, the restrains on his neck digging into his skin but not enough to choke him; being close to Integra was more important, anyway.

His purrs broke off as Integra swooned a little, her eyes closing. He sat up with alarm, tugging further on his restraints as he leaned forward. "Integra? Integra, are you alright? What's the matter?" He asked worriedly, his eyes flickering over her body to see if there was any indication of what was wrong. "Are you ill?"

Integra groaned as she felt the ground rock beneath her. She felt both hot and cold at the same time; her mouth as dry as the desert. "I think I'm... I think I'm going to... mmmm," she moaned, before slurring, "Passssout?"

A thrill of fear that had nothing to do with his trauma passed through Alucard at the sound of Integra's voice, muddled with slurred speech. His mind raced as he considered what could possibly have happened; she couldn't be poisoned because she hadn't drank or eaten anything— _She hasn't drank or eaten anything_ . _She must be starving!_ Moving as quickly as he could with his shackles, he grabbed up the untouched black hawk and pushed it over to Integra till it brushed her hand.

"Integra, love, you need to eat—or at the very least, drink. The blood shouldn't be too coagulated; please, I know it's disgusting, but it's all we have right now." He gave it another desperate shove into her hand, his heart pounding nervously in his chest with the prospect of being able to help his mate in some small way. "If you sink your fangs into the chest, you can get enough blood to hydrate you. Please, Integra. Drink. Eat, too, if you can."

Integra wrinkled her nose, turning away from the dead Rhinelander. "I refuse," she mumbled stubbornly. "I will not leddem make me sink t’ their level. Besides, 'm sure it tastes awful. An’ smells bad. An’ 'm not hungry..." She sighed, closing her eyes again. "'m gonna close my eyes for a little while... room's spinnin'..."

Alucard's eyebrows furrowed and he pushed the corpse closer insistently. "Integra, please, you need to eat," he pleaded, his wings giving an anxious shudder. She couldn't really be giving up, could she? "If you don't eat this, they'll only get worse, you know that—they'll force-feed you something even more horrible than a dead, faceless Rhinelander, and they won't let us starve, so just—please. I can't do this without you." He admitted in a shaking voice, gripping the bars. "You need to keep up your strength for when we get out of here. Just a little bit of the blood and a couple bites, that's all I ask."

"You think-" Integra began, before laughing weakly. "You still think we're getting out of here alive."

Alucard sighed through his nose at Integra's pessimism. "I do, because we will. We've only been here three days at the most—there's still a fair chance of us getting out. If we're not rescued for another week or so… well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he conceded, sitting back and watching worriedly if Integra would drink.

Integra shook her head. "A week," said Integra grimly, shuddering at the thought. "A whole week..." She wasn't accustomed to wartime tactics like Alucard was, and she wasn't sure that she could last even that long. But she wanted to be there for Alucard. If he needed her, she would be there for him. So she brought the corpse into her cell, taking a deep breath before burying her fangs into its chest and drinking deeply, making her husband’s shoulders drop with relief.

"Thank you, Integra," he said, brushing a wing over her leg reassuringly.

She nearly gagged at the taste, but the blood felt good in her belly. So she drank as much as she could before sitting back up, wiping her mouth off and sighing. "A princess of Britannia, shirtless, wings exposed, crouched on the ground and drinking blood from a beastman like a savage. I'm a disgrace."

Alucard’s eyebrows furrowed. He wanted more than ever to pull her into his arms, comfort her. "You're not a disgrace—you're trying to survive. You're still as noble and beautiful as the day I met you—the same incredible woman I married. My mate," he soothed, leaning his head against the bars before sitting back and tugging off his shirt. With a well-aimed toss, it fell at Integra's feet. "Here—put this on. It's—seen better days, but it'll cover you well enough."

She looked at him tiredly, smiling a small smile. "What did I do to deserve you?" she said as she picked up the shirt, draping it around her torso and tying the sleeves together to cover her chest. "Thank you, Alucard. I'm grieved that you're here, but... I also couldn't do this without you."

"Likewise. I wish you weren't here in this cell, but selfishly, I also don't know what I would do without you...so thank you, Integra." Alucard returned Integra's tired smile, pleased to see her relax ever so slightly now that she was covered up.

After a moment, she realized how long it had been since he slept. "Sleep now," she urged. "I'll keep watch." When he looked as if he was going to protest, she cleared her throat and started singing a Wallachian lullaby that she had heard in her time at his castle.

Alucard opened his mouth to protest, to say he could stand to stay up another night, but was interrupted by his own body betraying him with a yawn, and, seconds later, Integra's low, soothing voice singing a familiar lullaby. "Where did you learn that?” he said, almost dreamily. “My mother used to sing that to me all the time… when I was little… I was such a crybaby, so she'd sing that to me, and I'd..." He broke off with another yawn, his wings and eyes drooping. The lullaby was, funnily enough, having the same effect it had had on him as a child.

"I'll...just sleep for a little while. Just a little while...wake me if...if you need anything, 'Tegra...?" he mumbled, making himself as comfortable as he could on the cold grates; his wings ruffled and spread over him, but he made sure to keep one held out to Integra so his feather brushed her hand. "Mmlove you..."

He drifted off to sleep, his mind eager to take him away from the suffering he had experienced that day.

Integra's weary smile grew as she saw Alucard seem to relax into sleep almost effortlessly. _Of course he was a crybaby when he was younger._ When he seemed to be fully asleep, she stopped singing. She began to think about the person who must have hurt him when he was a child, coupled with what the beastmen had done that day to trigger his trauma. She bit her lip until it bled, balling her hands tightly as she thought of how she wanted to make them all suffer.

Since there was no natural light in the room, she had no idea how long she stayed up. It felt like days without the relief of her mate's company, but she wanted to give him the chance to rest so she absolutely refused to wake him. It got to the point where she wondered if the Rhinelanders were ever coming back at all when the door slid open again and she sat up and glared at them. "Alucard," she hissed. "They're back."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Fuck you!" she shouted after a moment. "You think I'm going to die like this, you disgusting pig? Not going to happen! You think that you have a say whether I live or die? Like hell! I will live. Alucard will live. And you will suffer what we have suffered tenfold! Shameless? I'll show you shameless. Fuck!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings continue for this chapter!!!!

Alucard's dreams were nightmarish, though his sleep was too deep for him to even so much as whimper aloud—he had been eating at a banquet with only the Britannian Queen, Radu, and two other nobles he had met in passing, the rest of the seats empty and no one at the monarch's seat; their faces were all wrapped in black cloth, like thieves. The food kept oozing into sludge between his fingers when he picked it up, but when he looked down at his plate there was a pair of tiny white wings laying on a tiny intestine circled up in a spiral, a tiny wood carving of a crown on top; he woke up just as he stabbed his fork into the meal. Blearily, he sat up when his name was called, his wings flaring with distracted alarm. He blinked quickly into focus and hissed.

" _Guten tag, meine leiblings_! I trust you both had a nice long rest? But, ah—there is no rest for the wicked, is there?" The Major announced as he stepped into the cell with his usual trio of degenerates; Dok carried another large case as he had the day before and looked particularly pleased with himself, licking frequently at his glasses and behind them, at his eyes.

"Wicked?" said Integra in disbelief, shaking her head. "You bloody hypocrite." The Rhinelander’s happiness made her nervous. The lioness was back to staring at her lasciviously, which was not a good sign. She sighed, leaning back and trying to look bored.

"No, no, no rest for you. But we have a special treat for you little birdies today! A completely hands-off experience, courtesy of Dok himself! He's spent hours whipping up this little concoction for you and yours. We don't even have to do a thing! We just sit back and watch the show..." The Major laughed, patting his rotund stomach in a jolly fashion. "What a show it will be! Dok, if you please, explain your newest invention?”

The lizardman saluted and dug out two syringes full of clear pink liquid, holding them up for the prisoners to see. He cleared his throat and began to speak, as if giving a scientific dissertation. "In this vial, I have concocted the results of potent hormones found in the base of both Britannian and Wallachian wings—specifically yours from while you first arrived, you don't remember, of course—and found that, when activated with heightened temperatures, the hormones produce what is commonly referred to as a 'mating heat', an annual occurrence in both Britannian and Wallachian biology with the intention to produce offspring. It is unavoidable without specific medication, and, when left unanswered, excruciatingly painful—even, I have heard, deadly!"

Integra eyed the syringes in horror. "Impossible!" she snapped. "I don't believe you. I don't believe you can do that."

"Believe it, pretty dove," said Zorin, grinning at her. "We're going to see you squirm today. We're going to see you beg."

Rip leered at Alucard, waving her hand at him. "I'm back, like I promised. For a lovely show."

Alucard's expression quickly went from anger to disbelief to horror; he snarled, baring his teeth at the prospect of having his worst enemies intrude on such a private and emotional time as a heat. Worse, they would be seeing both Integra and himself at their most vulnerable, knowing that the majority of the beastmen would be taking their own pleasure from watching them; it disgusted him so viscerally that he felt nauseous. "You bastards. How dare you—" he broke off from his angry rant when Rip spoke up. He paled at the sight of her, a rush of horrible memories from yesterday coming back to him. His wings lowered from their aggressive posture and he looked away, growling angrily. "Neither of us are going to beg for anything from you lowlife beasts."

The Major laughed aloud, shaking his head. "We'll see about that, won't we? I recall you begging quite vociferously yesterday, if memory serves correct!" He chortled, leaning over to press a button next to the door; almost instantly the manacles on the prisoners tightened, making it impossible to fight back as the Major waved Zorin and Rip over to Alucard with a syringe while he and the doctor went to Integra. "How exciting! My first time seeing a real winged-one's heat!" The Major giggled as Dok yanked out Integra's arm to inject the serum. "I hope you'll give us quite the show, little dove."

"I don't believe you," said Integra again, shaking her head and snarling. She glowered as the two beastmen headed over to her, struggling as best she could when the Doktor took out her arm and stuck the needle deep in it, wincing as he emptied the contents of the syringe into her arm. For a few moments, nothing happened. _I knew it, she thought in relief. They were just fucking with us. There's no way they could possibly induce heat; it's not possible._ "I'm alright, Alucard," she called out. "Nothing... nothing's happening, and I'm..." Her voice trailed off as she felt what she had only ever felt one other time in her life. The ache in her gut. She shook her head to clear the fog out, trying to think her way out of the artificial heat. But then she inhaled, and she smelled that beautiful, heavenly scent. The scent that was comfort and desire wrapped up in one. Alucard. She smiled dreamily, letting it relieve the distress inside her. Now that the scent was here, nothing could go wrong. Alucard would be with her soon.

Worry squeezed Alucard’s chest as he watched Integra’s cool expression change into one of dreamy lust. _Shit. It worked,_ he thought, horrified at the situation his wife was now in.

Zorin and Rip also watched the change come over the usually stern princess. Zorin cackled and sniffed the air, purring at the delicious smell that wafted over her way. "What a woman, eh?" she said to Alucard, tugging back his hair so that he wouldn't bite Rip when she administered his syringe. "Maybe the Major will let me be her new mate. If he doesn't choose to take her as his own. Either way, she'll be so desperate that she'll be begging for someone, anyone to help her. She'll welcome us with open legs. Not that you'll be much better, lover boy."

"Oh, I think he'll be much better," argued Rip as she plunged the syringe into his meaty arm, making sure to get all the serum in before stepping back with excited, wild eyes.

Alucard snarled and struggled, baring his fangs at Zorin's taunts. "Don't you dare even think of touching her, you wretched whore," He growled low in his chest, too infuriated to wince when Rip plunged the needle into the crook of his arm. He was trying his hardest not to breathe in; serum or not, Integra's heat would pull him over into his own in a heartbeat. "She won't lower herself to your level in a million years. Try to control your libido and be satisfied with fucking your scrawny, feathered slut of a mate for once, bitch," he snapped, shaking himself off after he was released by the two beastwomen.

"If you have any idea what I'll do to you if you so much as try… to..." The intoxicating, heavenly scent that was Integra—pure and warm and faintly spiced—overcame him in a wave, and he slumped a little as the tension faded from his body, lust and love clouding his thoughts like a fog. He exhaled long and hard, a sweat beginning to break out on his brow while the heat from his lower stomach rose to flow through his body. As if compelled, he crawled forward on the grates to the bars toward his mate, wings flaring in courtship. " _Haah_ … Integra…"

The Major gave a quiet chortle as the two normally serious nobles succumbed to their instincts; the scents were overpowering to the pigman's sensitive snout and frankly, smelt like being trapped in a perfume store. Of course, that wasn't going to let him get distracted from his enjoyment of the show before him. Dok watched excitedly as his serum took effect, wringing his hands.

"I'll touch her all I want, you barbarian dog!" snapped Zorin, enraged by Vladislav's insults of her mate. "Why you... you savage..." She growled, moving to punch him as he was distracted by transitioning into the heat, but thankfully for him Rip gently put a hand on her arm.

Meanwhile, Integra's brow was starting to sweat as well. She was feeling very hot, and the ache was spreading in her body. Her wings puffed up in courtship, and she helplessly crawled as far as she could go towards her mate. "Alucard... I'm so hot," she sighed, before moaning in dismay and confusion as her restraints stopped her from going any farther. "Alucard? I... I need you!" Why was he not coming to her? Why couldn't she get to him?

Alucard purred low in his throat as Integra's wings fluffed up to mirror his, pleased that she was reciprocating so quickly. "Integra..." He growled his mate's name amorously, licking his lips; all he could see was her wings, her beautiful blonde hair, her eyes, her smooth, dark skin… he drew in another deep breath and sighed, drunk on her delicious scent. There were others in the room as well—but their scents were like rotten garbage compared to Integra's. "I'm so hot, so hot for you, Integra..." He reached his arm out to touch her scorching, sweet-tasting skin but was halted abruptly—confused, he looked back at his restraints and tugged, uncomprehending, on them. "What...? Mmh, Integra, just wait, I’ll… I need you too, but..." His wings gave an irritable flap and he looked back at Integra, panting. "Integra...!"

"Oh, god, I need you," moaned Integra, pulling against her restraints. She was already imagining his beard scratching against her cheek as they kissed, his thick arms wrapped around her body, his soft black wings blocking out everything but the two of them, and the love and pleasure they shared. "What... what's happening... Alucard?" She whined in frustration, looking around with hazy eyes. All she could see clearly was Alucard, but he wasn't anywhere near close enough. "It's... it's starting to hurt... I need to touch you..." she said breathlessly, before crying out and doubling over at the wave of heat that passed over her. Her inner muscles clenched, needing something to fill her up immediately. "Alucard, come here, please. Don't you want me?"

"I want you, I want you too, beloved, more than anything," Alucard panted, a shudder running down his spine as Integra moaned. His purrs rose in pitch with frustration and he strained against the chains on his limbs, uncomprehending. His heat-addled mind couldn't understand what was keeping him back, what was keeping Integra from climbing into his arms. His arms were beginning to shake with the desire to pull her close, the mangled mark on his neck tingling with need. “Me... me too, why aren't you… here, Integra, I want to be… I need to be inside..." he gasped when Integra cried out and soon growled in kind as the artificial heat ran through him. Just as Integra had said, the desire to ride out the heat was beginning to become painful—less of a want and more of a need. "Need to be inside you, beautiful, beloved Integra...! Come here, come to me!" His hands gripped the grates and he snarled with frustration, yanking at his restraints with feverish determination. The artificial heat was giving his weakened body a considerable amount of strength, and the chains creaked once on the wall as they were tugged.

The Major gave another peal of laughter, clapping his hands in delight. "Look at them, sniffing and panting like dogs in heat! Well, I suppose that simile is too apt… listen to how they coo to each other, mindless animals with the desire to spend themselves, not even understanding how jails work… it's simply delightful! I've never seen such behavior, truly!" He guffawed, grinning. "I wonder how soon they'll break once they figure out they won't get to fall into each others' arms..."

"I don't know!" whimpered Integra, pulling against the restraints even harder until they were once again bruising her wrists. "I don't know what's happening, Alucard; I want you, I want you inside of me. Please, Alucard, God, I'll do anything, just please come here! I'm so wet, Alucard, I'm so..." She cried out again, riding out another wave. "I'm yours, I'm here, I'm waiting..."

Alucard groaned, nearly choking himself as he lunged forward against his chains, his fingers gripping the grates so tightly they began to bleed—the pain didn't even register, he was so consumed with thoughts of Integra. The chains gave another quiet creak. "I don't know either, but I'm—hnnh—I'm here, I'm here, but you're so far away, I can't reach you, why can't I just touch you—?!" he moaned, pressing his head against the cool bars as his hips gave a shallow jerk, desperate to be inside of her. The heat was smothering him, and instinctively he knew it couldn't break unless he did something. "Integra, our second heat, I need to be with you, mate with you, I need...!"

Zorin growled in pleasure at the spectacle. "Major," she began, not taking her eyes off of the Britannian princess and her shameless behavior. "I know you said not to get involved yet-"

But the Major held up a silencing hand to Zorin's request, making the lioness huff and fold her arms. She dared not protest any further, however.

"Should we check the restraints?" asked Rip nervously, eyeing the creaking chains.

Their voices seem to alert Integra to the presence that someone else was in the room. Her vision was fogged, but she knew that someone was there. "H-hello?" she said, crawling and reaching out with a shaking hand to pull on what appeared to be a person's leg. "Can you... I need... where is Alucard? What's happening? I need him..." Another wave passed over her and she fell to the floor, unable to support herself as she curled up and whimpered. "Why is this happening?" she asked the person above her desperately.

The Major smiled amusedly down at the heat-muddled mess that was Integra at his hooves. "You're in heat, my dear, but quite without a mate this time around! Locked away in another cell, I'm afraid. A shame. How does it feel, burning up with the force of your own lust?" He stepped over her curled up form and strode around to observe Alucard in his cage like a spectacle at a zoo. "I have heard that unsatisfied heats can be quite damaging—very painful, very high rates of dehydration, feeling as if you're being burned alive...why, some animals in the wild will even die if not taken by a mate!"

Integra shuddered bodylong, pressing her thighs together in an effort to get friction. It wasn't anywhere near what she needed; she needed something wonderfully thick inside of her. Her body was burning, aching. Her limbs were cramping up. Tears were forming in her eyes. It was hard to breathe. She fumbled around with the shirt tied around her body until it was untied, throwing it off with a gasp of relief that only lasted a moment before she was in agony once more. "It... it feels terrible..." she said wretchedly, eyes unfocused. "I do feel like I'm dying, I do..."

Chuckling, the Major stroked at his bristly chin and tilted his head curiously down at Integra. "It's nature's own perfect torture, almost as potent as one of my own creations! And if I'm not mistaken, this would've been your second heat with your dear prince, hm? A breeding heat, isn't it called? How unfortunate that nothing will come of it! No Wallachian brood for you to nest over in the months to come, hm?"

Integra moaned loudly at the mention of breeding. "Please, Alucard, I want you to mate with me... I want to bear your children, I want to... I want to bear your children, please, come here! Someone help me, please, get these... these chains off of me. I need..." She shook her head, trying to think of Alucard and Alucard only. But the more her heat-dazed brain realized that Alucard was a no-show, the more she began to recognize other scents in the room. They weren't anywhere near as good, but they would do. "I need someone," she gasped, reaching out blindly. She still couldn't see. "I need someone, something. Help me, God help me..." Tears overflowed and spilled down her cheeks.

Alucard groaned, an agonizing wave of heat crashing over him, feeling as if every muscle was being boiled under his skin, too tight on his bones; he pressed his forehead against the cool bars, but his own body heat quickly sapped the cold from it. His hands grasped blindly for Integra as she whined of breeding, a renewed excruciating desire overcoming him to the point where his hands actually began to warp the metal bars inward in his grasp. "Integra, Integra, I need to be yours, I need you to be mine, bear them, be mother of my children, be around me, I need—you—" he snarled feverishly, reaching past the cell despite his manacles tearing deep grooves in his skin. Another fruitless jerk of his hips against the grates provoked his pain that he couldn't reach his mate and he howled like a wounded animal, tearing at his chains with a blind fury. "Why won't you let me go, damn it?! She needs me!!" he bellowed, biting down on the manacles as he had the first day of their confinement; tears of frustration and pain streaked down his cheeks when his brain registered he wasn't going to get to Integra in time. "I—I need someone—!!"

"Are those bars meant to bend like that?" Rip said uneasily, watching him from a fair distance away.

The Major stepped away out of Integra's grasp, tutting scoldingly while his grin widened. "You keep praying to your God, but I don't think you quite understand that there are no gods here—save for myself. And I am quite the capricious one!" he chortled, his nostrils flaring as he took in another breath. He sighed, placing a hoof on Integra's bare back as he considered her. "Hm, Dok, I thought you said the smell of a heat is meant to be pleasant. All I can detect is the scent of a shameless whore." He ground his sharp heel into her sensitive skin. "Perhaps too shameless. Well, if she does die, then we'll know, won't we?"

"Major," growled Zorin, closing her eyes to isolate the princess's scent in the air. "She needs someone; will you not let me? It would cement her despair, mating with a Rhinelander..."

The Major gave Zorin a vaguely chastising look. "My dear Zorin, what have I said about sticking to our plan? Perhaps later, I said, perhaps later...for now I want to see if she will truly die from lust." He waved his lieutenant's request away with a dismissive claw.

Integra cried out in agony as the Major's heel ground into her skin—the feeling was a million times more painful now that her skin was so hypersensitive. The pain had an effect that he probably hadn't considered, though; she gained just the slightest bit of clarity, enough to make her come to her senses. "Fuck you!" she shouted after a moment. "You think I'm going to die like this, you disgusting pig? Not going to happen! You think that you have a say whether I live or die? Like hell! I will live. Alucard will live. And you will suffer what we have suffered tenfold! Shameless? I'll show you shameless. Fuck!" Another wave of heat shot through her and she screamed in agony, losing her clarity again as she struggled against his heel on her back, trying to move her hands down to her lower body to find some relief.

The pigman regarded Integra's sudden bout of clarity with interest."Oh? She speaks almost in words of a civilized creature, torn from her animal haze of lust with pain! How fascinating! Dok, write that down." He tilted his head, his grin thinning into a smug smirk as the lizardman scrambled for a pen and notebpad. He dug his hoof in deeper, a ring of blue blood seeping out from underneath.

Integra cried out again, writhing under the Major's foot in an effort to escape the pain she was going through. "Stop!" she called out desperately.

The Major grinned. "Quite a speech from a girl so thrown to her basest passions that she could not understand what chains were. But please, if you have more to show, by all means—show me shamelessness! Zorin, Rip, pull back the restraints on her hands and fasten them down, but do not touch her—I want to test that iron resolve she claims to have. Do the same to the prince once you're finished with hers."

Alucard roared alongside Integra's scream of agony like a rabid beast, sweat dripping from his hair, feathers, and chest as he struggled against his restraints; the gouges caused by the metal ripping into his skin gave him brief sparks of clarity in which his desire for his mate rather than anyone sharpened, making him snarl and pant even heavier. "Integra!! Integra!! Integra!!" he moaned like a mantra, his fingers clutching the iron bars inward as he rutted uselessly against the ground, tears still pouring from his eyes. The pain was excruciating, and no matter how much he writhed, the heat under his skin couldn't be cooled—only Integra could do that.

Zorin and Rip immediately obeyed their Major's orders and tightened the chains of both husband and wife, leaving them unable to touch themselves.

Integra cried out in frustration, aching to touch herself. "I need.... I need Alucard, where is Alucard? Alucard?" She heard his voice and shuddered; the pain her body was experiencing was unbelievable. She sobbed, spreading her legs desperately in the hopes that he would come into her.

 

* * *

 

 

The artificial heat took hours to wear off. Hours. Those hours practically crawled by; they felt like an eternity. Integra spent the whole time crying out for Alucard, dying to feel him. Without even a method of touching herself, her whole body was alight with a fire that couldn't be extinguished. She tried squeezing her legs together to find her pleasure, but it only reminded herself of how empty she was. She was wracked with spasms of pain that she didn't even know she could feel before experiencing this seemingly never-ending hell. Finally, she felt her body cooling off, and her sobbing turned into sobs of relief as she lay on the ground, trying to remember who and where she was. Her stomach was churning, the room was spinning, and her mouth was the desert again. Alucard probably didn't feel much better— _Alucard_! She called his name hoarsely, desperate to know that he had survived.

Every minute, every hour of the artificial heat was an excruciating experience from which there was no relief. Alucard sweated, roared, and writhed, bucking against the cold grates of the cell and his restraints, seeking a moment of solace but found only more agonizing heat, without Integra, so much so that by the tail-end of it he thought he was really going to burn away into ash. Finally, finally, the searing sensation began to dissipate, leaving him laying in a sprawled, shaking mess on the ground. The air cooled from sweltering to frigid all at once, and his veins didn't feel like they were full of molten lava anymore—but his entire body felt like he had been dried out into a skeleton under the Wallachian desert sun for years on end. In short, he felt like he had somehow, miraculously but barely, avoided death.

Groaning hoarsely, he rolled onto his side and felt his stomach churn with the simple movement. "...Tegra...?" He mumbled, trying to force his heavy eyelids open to see his mate—he was hearing her voice, so she must've survived, right? _Unless we're both dead and she's an angel..._ He blinked, trying to swallow but his throat was too dry; he coughed and groaned at the pain it caused. His throat had been screamed raw on top of everything else. "Integra, are you… are you alright?" He finally managed in slurred Wallachian, too tired to even think of Breton conjugations.

The Major hummed, folding his hands behind his back with a satisfied grin. "That worked far better than I had anticipated—much more entertaining, if a little long-winded! Quite the effective torture device, and it's right inside their own bodies! Fascinating!" He chuckled, turning on his heel. "Excellent work, Dok. I am very pleased; we'll have to try this again sometime! Perhaps even make a show out of it—bring them onto the stage in a sort of Romeo and Juliet for the unwashed masses! The possibilities are endless… come, my dears! If we hurry, we'll still make time for dinner before bed. Sleep tight, dear lovers! Sleep tight!" He waved his malformed parade out of the room, and the door slid shut behind them.

Integra barely registered the Rhinelanders leaving; she was beyond relieved that Alucard was still alive. She erupted into fresh sobs, wracked with relief. "Alucard, Alucard," she rasped. "Thank God, thank God you're ok..." She moaned as she sat up. Her pants were a mess of her own unsatisfied desire, and she took the opportunity to strip them off in order to let them dry, wincing at how wet they were. She took up the shirt he had given her again, tying it around herself so it covered her crotch as well; Alucard's shirt was big enough.

Alucard smiled wearily as Integra spoke again, her voice hoarse and faint but there. His eyes were too bleary to see her properly yet, but she was alive—distraught, maybe, but alive—and he could make out her form sitting up. "We're alright, Integra… you're okay, you're alright… thank the gods, but we're alright," he soothed as best he could, his voice raspy and low from all the howling he had done during his heat. "Thanks the gods you're alright..." After he rested a moment longer on the grates, he shuddered at the chill and sat up, holding his head. He blinked hard to clear his vision, to take Integra in and make sure she really was alright. As he looked over her, he realized she was taking off her pants and covering up with his shirt; looking down at himself, he figured he'd do the same—his pants were soaked through with sweat and come. With a sigh of dejection, he shimmed out of them and tossed them away before huddling his wings around himself for warmth and comfort. He felt exhausted, hollow—at the back of his mind, his instincts were berating him for not having a productive heat.

Integra still felt empty. Her hormones were wild, trying to make sense of a premature heat that was unfulfilled. "Alucard," she sobbed, making her husband jerk his head up to look at her as she clutched her stomach. "I... I won't have your children... they stopped me from having your children..." She felt barren.

Alucard gave a soft moan of commiseration, crawling toward her. The way she clutched her stomach— _empty_ , his mind supplied unhelpfully—made his heart break. "Integra, no, it's… it's alright… beloved, it's okay, you can—you can still have them, we can still have our children, please..." He clutched the bars of the cell, desperate to comfort his mate. His wing extended out to her as it had every night, trying to brush the outmost feather over her hand. "Those bastards ruined it, but… it's… we can try again next heat. Please don't cry. Next heat, we'll… you'll have them, I swear to you."

Integra shivered, trying to warm herself by wrapping her arms around her torso. "But... but I can't have them now, Alucard... I want them now. I want your children. I didn't think I would but I... I do.”

Alucard made another empathetic noise in his sore throat, pressing his forehead against the cold bars. He couldn't bare to look at Integra for shame of not giving her what he could as her mate—giving her the children she hadn't even known she wanted so badly. "I know, beloved heart, I know. I want… I want them too. I don't think it's just the post-heat talking when I say I want them more than almost anything." He drew in a deep, shuddering breath, his feather brushing her palm in feeble comfort. He shut his eyes to prevent the burning behind them from forming into tears; the last thing he needed was to lose more moisture than he already had by sweating so much for so long.

"More than almost anything," Integra echoed tearfully, holding his wing tightly. "I want them... so much... they took our children away from us, Alucard."

"Next… next heat, though, we can… we'll try again. You'll have our children, our beautiful, perfect heirs… of course you will," Alucard repeated, nodding to himself with fragile certainty. "It… it hurts to know what could've been for our first breeding heat. But I think it’s... well, at least you won't have to worry about bearing our children into this hellhole." Alucard sighed ruefully, a shiver going through him at the horrible thought. Wallachian labour was risky enough as it was—and chances were, any surviving children Integra bore here would be snatched away for the Rhinelanders' amusement. "No, you'll be able to have our children at home, nice and safe and warm, and I'll be at your side the whole way..." He shut his eyes, trying to lose himself in the more pleasant fantasy than Integra's pessimistic determination of what was to come. "Maybe they'll be satisfied for long enough that they won't get the chance to do it again before we're rescued. Maybe we'll get lucky.”

Integra shivered, too. "The next heat will probably be tomorrow, or the day after that. They're going to put us on a stage, remember? They're going to do it again. And I betrayed you. I wasn't asking only you for heat relief..." She shook her head in self-disgust, sighing as she reached out to touch his wing and weep in relief at feeling any part of him. "God, they can do anything they want to us, can't they?"

Alucard’s other wing went around his shoulders as he shivered once more. Thinking back, hearing Integra stop calling for him alone had hurt, but... "You couldn't stop it, it's alright. I'm not angry, it's just… you were in agony, and I couldn't be there to help. I always heard that taking on a heat by yourself was agonizing, but I never realized exactly how painful. You'd do anything to stop it… I can't blame you at all." He shut his eyes again, sighing deeply. "They weren't kidding when they said they were god-like. They even fucked with our biology this time. I didn't even think such a thing could be done."

"I can only imagine what they'll do to us next," Integra murmured, before the room started spinning. "Shit, Alucard; I feel dizzy again. Really, really dizzy." She sighed, closing her eyes. "When do you think they'll let us die?"

Alucard broke out of his reverie with a look of alarm at his wife. "You're probably dehydrated again—you remember how much we drank for our first heat together. Damn it, if I could reach a little further you could drink from my wrist..." With a frustrated, exhausted sigh, he let his head fall back against the bars. "I suppose the best thing you can do is sleep for now. You must be exhausted… and don't talk like that. Think about… think about how soon we'll be home. How soon we'll be free to touch and kiss each other as much as we want, as rulers of two kingdoms...with as many children as you want." He smoothed his feathers against her palm, his own eyes falling shut. "I'd sing you to sleep, but my throat isn't going to have it."

"Home," said Integra dreamily, her eyes still closed. "I can't believe I'm actually thinking of Wallachia as home... I can't believe you're still so hopeful." She nodded. "I guess... I guess I'll sleep again. I... I want to touch you, God, don't dangle that in front of me." She made herself comfortable as best she could, wrapping her wings around herself. "Good night. I love you."

 

* * *

 

Who knew how long it had been? Only the Rhinelanders, but they weren't talking. They were tormenting. If she had to guess, Integra would say about ten or fifteen days. It felt like years. She had been subjected to horrors she had never even dreamed of. Her eyes had been gouged out. Her limbs had been cut off. And many other things that she did not want to think about; never wanted to remember again. It got to the point where she stayed unconscious as much as she could, just to avoid her memories. She had lost a large amount of weight from lack of resources and appetite. Her eyes had deadened. She had never been broken, not completely, but she was on another level of miserable. Even her dreams became nightmares. Nowhere was safe.

Alucard had experienced a lot of pain in his life, but never anything near what had been inflicted upon him in his capture by the beastmen. It got to the point where he begged for the torture to be physical rather than mental—that, at least, he knew how to deal with, even if it was excruciating beyond his worst nightmares. The Prometheus myth began to feel more and more true to life with each passing day; and with each passing day, he lost hope that rescue was coming. His sole comfort was Integra, and he though he hoped to any god that was listening that she wouldn't break, she was getting frail. He couldn't blame her in the slightest; after what horrors they had been through, a healthy appetite or sleep schedule wasn't high on their list of priorities.

One morning-or-night, the Major paraded in with his zoo of abominations and a jolly greeting, as he did every time he entered the cellblock. Alucard hissed, wearily pulling himself to his knees as if tugged upright. A few feathers fell from his wings at the slight movement; his once-magnificent and shiny black feathers were dull and patchy from stress and lack of care. He glared up at the Major silently through his tangled hair, exhaustedly waiting for what horrors awaited he and his wife today while his hands shook on instinct.

"I trust you slept well, my dears! I have quite the surprise for you today; it should perk you right up." The pigman assured his captives, folding his hands behind his back as he smiled between the two of them. "Yes, yes, something quite different for our special two-week anniversary! Something we haven't played with before to the best of their ability.”

Integra started awake at the sound of the Major's voice. Her chest tightened, her palms started to sweat, and her arms crossed protectively in front of her; her body having a pavlovian reaction to his voice. She had given up trying to speak back to them whenever she could; it took too much energy, so she saved it for when it counted. All she did now was glare at them, presenting a pathetic picture with her dirty shirt wrapped around her and her greasy hair. _Two weeks_ , she thought blearily. _There's no way anyone's coming to save us. If we're lucky, we're going to die here._

I know things must be getting monotonous for you, so I thought we could spice things up a bit," the Major continued. He strode over to Integra, his smile growing into a grin that displayed almost every one of his pointed teeth. "Mmh. Spice. Should go nicely with your wings."

At first, Integra’s blurry mind didn't really comprehend what he was saying. When it clicked, however, her heart stopped. Her eyes widened and she slid back a foot, towards the wall. 

"Oh, it looks as if she's scared; poor little dove," said Zorin with a smile, pleased to finally get a good reaction out of the princess, who previously had seemed to become a living corpse as the days went on.

"No," Integra said hoarsely, ignoring Zorin completely. "You can't."

"Yes," The Major replied cheerily, advancing toward Integra with a wide grin on his face, drool dripping from his snout with anticipation. "We can. We've put this off for far too long; if we wait any longer, there'll be no meat left on those pretty little wings for us to rip off!" He pouted, gesturing Zorin and Rip to his side before he placed a hoof heavily on Integra's back. "Ladies, if you would please tighten her restraints, that would be wonderful. Doktor, do you have your bone saw ready?" He yanked one wing up, stretching it farther than the muscles could comfortably go, and plucked off a feather before poking it into his jacket's buttonhole with his free hand. "Hm, I think we'll have to break it first, otherwise it'll be flapping abound, impossible to saw off. I'm going to enjoy this."

Like Integra, at first Alucard's bleary mind couldn't understand the full ramifications of what the beastmen were intending to do to his wife's wings; he snarled on principle when they advanced on her, but he was too mentally and physically exhausted to really put up much of a fight on her behalf. That was until the Major's words began to register. "No. No, no, no, I won't—you can't do that to her!!" His voice rose in volume as panic and rage gave new energy to his limbs. He tugged against his restraints with renewed strength from sheer desperation—he couldn't let this happen. "You can't!! Stop it, you fucking monsters, you're—I'll kill you!!"

Integra shook her head wildly, backing up as far as she could go before the restraints stopped her. "No," she said, eyes even wider now and full of fear. "No no no. You can't. Don't do this." Her wings were by far and away the most sensitive part of her outer body. Not only that, but... they had come to mean something to her. They had been a symbol of her ability to survive in Wallachia; they had grown with her. And now these monsters were going to... to eat them. They were going to main, detach, and eat her wings. "You can't!" she said, louder this time, whining as the Major's hoof was placed on her back. "No, you..." She squirmed as her restraints were tightened, before letting out a whimper as the Major grabbed her wing and stretched it too far, craning her back to lessen the uncomfortable feeling. "No!" she cried as she felt him pull out a feather. "No, please!"

As she protested, her heart beat faster. And faster. And faster. Suddenly, she felt herself in the thrall of a panic attack. "No!" she screamed, thrashing in an effort to get away from this man's grip, from the prying eyes of the beastmen. "No, God! No, please! Please don't do this!" she begged, suddenly stopped her movements and pawing at the nearest beastmen in frantic supplication. "I'll do anything, I'll give you anything... please! God, please! I'll do anything you want, don't do this!" Tears spilled down her cheeks as she wildly looked around for anything that could help her. Then, she remembered her mate. "Alucard!" she screamed. "Alucard, please! Don't let them, don't let them do this, please don't let them! Help me!"

"Integra!!" Alucard howled in horror, clawing and yanking on his chains with unrestrained panic, adrenaline pumping through him as his mate was prepared for slaughter like a common animal, "No, gods, no, I won't let this happen, Integra, I'm not going to let them—fucking—goddamn these chains!!" He roared, biting down hard on one chain and tugging with all his might, his blistered palms bleeding freely as he set the full weight of his strength, waned as it was, against his restraints. They creaked steadily under the force of his desperation. "Please gods let me get to her...!!"

The Major burst out laughing, louder than ever, positively squealing as Integra screamed and begged for mercy. He pushed down harder, holding her wing up higher to brush the dirt and grime from them. "Not so proud now, are you, little dove? Go ahead and crow away, squawk till your lungs give out! I'm positively drooling for it!" He guffawed as he grasped the midsection of the wing, ready to snap it in two...

But a louder, more mechanical snap interrupted him. Then another, then three more simultaneous crashes. The pigman jerked his head over his shoulder, ready to tell one of his subordinates to quiet down the other prisoners, only to be met with a furious, red-eyed Wallachian who had torn his restraints out through sheer brute strength and adrenaline, glaring right at him. "You fucking monsters thought you'd break her wings? Eat them?! I'll eat your fucking hearts for that!!" Alucard bellowed, his ragged wings lifted in a furious arc behind his back before he seized the bars between the cages and began to pry them apart. "You… fucking… monsters!!" He dragged himself through once the gap was big enough and launched himself at the Major's throat, snarling like a rabid beast. They toppled over, nearly crashing into Dok.

He fell upon the Major like a creature from hell, grabbing the pigman's arms and sinking his jaws into his throat, tearing into it with a horrible snarl between mouths of blood and gore; "You will never lay a filthy fucking finger on my wife again!! Do you hear me, you pig?!" He bellowed, sinking his fangs back into the pigman only to find metal blocking him from doing serious injury.

If Integra had been in her right mind, she would have been unendingly relieved and savagely pleased at the way her husband had ripped free of his chains and was now tearing the Major apart. Unfortunately, she was far too immersed in panic to realize what had happened. All she had heard was the crunch of metal and a terrifying roar, both of which terrified her as she collapsed to the floor and backed away as far as she could from the fracas. She curled up in the fetal position, crying openly and hyperventilating. _I want to die, I want to die, I want to die._

Zorin, Rip, and the Doktor looked on in panic as their leader was tackled to the ground, looking at each other in determination before stepping forward. It was three of them against one weakened barbarian; there was no way they could lose.

As they strode forward, however, there was the sound of footsteps up to the door outside, then a loud thud. Then another. 

Meanwhile, Alucard was finding more and more metal, and wires and circuits that were preventing him from tearing the pig apart. "What the fuck is—" He broke off when he heard a loud slam and jerked his head around, blood dripping copiously from his beard. Shock was plain on his face when he took in the impossible sight of Seras Victoria and Pip Bernadotte.  _They came to rescue us_ , his mind supplied faintly seconds before the Major threw him roughly to the side, his breath leaving him in a wheeze as he hit the hard grate floor.

"Integra! Vladislav!" shouted Seras, running in triumphantly. She was covered in Rhinelander blood, but her armor was without a single dent and her eyes were filled with fiery determination. Pip was right behind her, in a similar condition. "We're here, we came to..." Her voice trailed off as she surveyed the scene. Two cells across from each other, both featuring a nasty set of manacles and restraints, bloodied and dirty. Four beastmen in the room. The Major of the Rhineland army toppled over, being ripped apart by Vladislav. Her lady in the corner, still chained. Both of them in almost no clothing. Dirty. Bloodied. Weakened. She almost didn't recognize them, with their overgrown and filthy hair, ragged wings, sunken forms. And her lady, curled up in the corner and sobbing, seemingly cut off from the world in the depths of despair. When Vladislav looked over to them, she saw how tortured his eyes were.

Seras Victoria's eyes narrowed. Her fangs elongated. She pulled out her sword, effortlessly holding its impressive weight. "Captain," she said, her normal soprano lowered into an alto. "Change of plans. We do this slow."

Pip's eye flickered across the room, taking in the pitiable state his country's monarchs were in. "Shit," he mumbled, eyebrows lowering with anger at such injustices. At least they were still alive, which was more than he could say for the Rhinelander troops guarding the capitol. He drew his bow. Fury rose in his chest, sharpening his aim. "Aye, my love. We do this slow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU for staying with us through all that; now the worst is over cause the cavalry's here!!! :) 
> 
> Also: gwenchou and I are planning a discord Q&A about our fic, so if you're interested please stay tuned for the announcement! it will probably be the sunday after the next chapter is released, but feel free to comment below or shoot us a message on tumblr!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's only ever going to be you. We're safe, we're home, and they've ruined nothing. They've broken nothing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to your reward for getting through torture: an extra long chapter of pure comfort!!! <3

"So! Two measly footsoliders is all they could manage to send from the front, eh?" The Major coughed, blood spewing from his snout's nostrils  as he pushed himself to his feet, electric sparks and oil spurting from his torn neck. He hobbled a bit, but stood. "Well, you have a remarkable sense of timing. How did you get past the security fleet?"

Seras snarled, throwing her sword without looking to slice through both Zorin and Rip's stomachs, pinning them against the nearest wall. It was not lethal, but would without a doubt incapacitate them for the time being. "Footsoldiers?" she said in that same low voice, advancing on the pigman angrily. "I don't think you're in the place to be insulting us, pig."

Dok shrieked and scrambled for the door as Zorin and Rip were impaled against the wall opposite his head, but toppled over with an arrow to the lower back, courtesy of Pip. The Major watched his subordinates get mowed down by the soldiers with a detached calm, as though they were enemy soldiers rather than his own. He sighed, bloody oil oozing out of his open neck at the motion, and he nudged Dok's tail away with his hoof. "Ah, so easily are my finest soldiers dispatched when they are taken by surprise...such a shame. I will have to rebuild them with better reflexes." He glanced around him at the carnage and smiled. "On the contrary, girl, I think I am in the perfect position to be insulting you. What else have I to lose?"

Pip tucked back his bow and drew his sabre, his eye burning with hatred. "Your hands. Your eyes. Your snout—take your pick, monster," he growled, his wings flaring aggressively behind him. "Or, rather, Seras will chose for you."

Seras looked at the clearly cybernetically enhanced pig with disdain and disgust. "Oh?" she said. "Are you going to rebuild your Captain, too? Because the last time we left him, there was only scraps left. Can you rebuild that?"

The Major smirked, snorting more blackened blood out of his nose. The skin around his throat was beginning to slowly rebuild itself, knitting back together in crisscrossing wires. "The Captain will need to be replaced, that's true. Alas." He took a step back, leveling his pistol at the two winged soldiers. "But I, I will be able to rebuild myself over and over, as many times as I need to. My Rhineland technology is more advanced than you can possibly dream of." His beady eyes narrowed. "You can't kill me."

Pip scoffed, readying his sabre. "Everything can be killed." Before the Major could fire, he darted forward, fangs bared, and swept his sword across the pigman's knees with a screech of steel-on-steel as the sword cleaved through. The Major toppled to his hands and knees, grunting in pain.

"I don't need to kill you, anyway," said Seras, her smile savage as she stepped closer. "Honestly, at this point? I just want you to suffer what my lady has suffered." She brought her mace down with a grunt, bashing one of the Major's hands in. "Aw, lost your pistol? What a shame," she cooed. 

"Come over here and fight me, you fucking bitch!" shouted Zorin, anxious at the way events were going. She gasped, coughing up blood. 

Seras smiled over at her. "You're hardly in any shape to fight," she said happily. "You're going to be dead in less than ten minutes." 

The Major gave another snarl of pain as Seras's mace came down on his hand, sparks flying from the impact. He bent over, wheezing, until he suddenly began to laugh, blood pouring from his snout. "Ten minutes? You give my first lieutenant too much credit. She'll be dead within two… and Rip van Winkle, well, she's always been rather frail. It's the bird bones, you see; they're hollow." He chuckled, wiping his nostrils with the back of his hand. His yellow-green eyes flickered up to meet Seras's blue. "If you want me to suffer what the little dove has suffered, you're going to need two weeks' head start! I've broken her, well and truly. I've won."

As they spoke, Alucard had shaken himself back to consciousness and immediately crawled over to Integra, eyes full of worry; however, he hesitated to touch her, even after so long without being able to so much as brush a finger over her palm—the last thing he wanted to do was frighten her further. "Integra? Integra, beloved, dear heart, are you alright? Your wings...?"

Integra was still sobbing, still gasping for air.  _ Alucard, help me _ , she thought wretchedly, unaware that Alucard was right beside her. When she perceived his general presence, she mistook him for a threat and whined helplessly, shrinking away from him as far as the manacles would let her. "Please, please no, please stop," she begged, her eyes gazing at nothing. "I'm tired; I can't. I'll do anything, please..."

Alucard gave a pitying whimper at the sight of his powerful, incredible wife so afraid. "Integra, my love, it's me, it's Alucard," he spoke to her as softly as he could, edging back to her side with his wings low and submissive. "Shh, dear one, it's over...it's alright, you're safe now." Reaching out with one trembling hand, he smoothed a hand over her ruffled, trembling feathers, giving the gentlest of scratches to the thin muscle just as he had done in the first few weeks of their meeting. Her feathers felt hard and brittle under his fingers, but the thought of being able to touch her at all filled him with joy. "Shh, shh… it's just me, Alucard… it's me, my darling. We're okay.”

"Alucard?" said Integra, her eyes focusing on the man above her. Her face softened slightly, before grimacing in panic again. "No, it's not..." She let out a shaky sigh, closing her eyes again. "It's a dream... I'll wake up, and..." She reached out and brushed his chest, opening her eyes in surprise at how firm and real it felt. Her wings shook under his touch. "I... Alucard?" She sat up as best she could. "Is it... is this real? Are you here with me?" Her biggest fear was that she would go to embrace him and he would vanish, leaving her to wake up cold and alone in her cell.

Pip was growling at the thought of his royal lieges being broken, baring his fangs. "Shut the fuck up, pig, or I'll dice your ears," he snapped at the Major. 

Seras narrowed her eyes, seeing red at the Major's comments. "You haven't broken anything except your own fucking country!" she shouted, lifting her mace and bringing it down on the pigman's head. 

The Major opened his mouth to let out one final laugh, but was smashed to the ground in a spurt of sparks and gore.

"You'll never break her, you fucking pig! Not my lady! You've won nothing!" Seras said, all the the while bringing down the mace again and again, smashing his head until there was nothing left to hit.

The distorted squeal of a boar and a malfunctioning machine erupting from the Major’s body with every bludgeoning of Seras's mace. Finally, the monster lay dead in a sparking, twitching heap, oil and blood seeping out of his decimated corpse

Pip glanced over his shoulder at Integra and Alucard, frowning. “Seras... as much as I'd like to draw this out, they need help."

At his words, Seras broke from her trance. She looked over at the heron woman and the lioness, and saw that they were both dead. Then she  looked over at Integra and Alucard, and her expression crumpled. "I don't want to scare then, Pip..." 

Pip gave a deep sigh and reaching into his pocket for a cigarette, his expression softening as he looked on Integra and Alucard. "Shit… it won't be easy to transport them without scaring them. They've been… gods, I can't imagine what they've been through."

Alucard’s eyes were watering as Integra touched his chest; he had thought he'd never feel such a thing again. He laid one hand over hers on his chest, the other still gently stroking her feathers. He edged closer, spreading his ragged wings and laying them around her in a tentative embrace. "It's not a dream, Integra, it's… it's really me. I'm here," he answered softly, searching her eyes. He lifted both hands to her cheeks, stroking with his thumbs. A tear slipped down his cheek at the disbelief in her face; he was finally, finally, so close. "We're free, my love. We're safe. I'm here."

As Alucard put his wings around her, Integra could smell his familiar smell. That had never been in any of her dreams. She looked up at him tearfully, looked deep into his eyes. God, it felt so real. Could she let herself be hopeful? Just one last time? "Alucard," she said softly. "Alucard." She clumsily clambered onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and latching onto him, pressing as much of her body against his as she possibly could. And he was still there. "Alucard," she said once more, breaking into sobs again. It seemed to be all she could say.

Alucard whimpered and drew his wife into his arms, wrapping his wings tightly around her. "Integra, Integra, oh my darling, my sweet beautiful Integra..." He buried his face in her neck with a sob, clutching her body to him as close as he could possibly manage, wishing he could draw her into his very being. He filled his lungs with her scent and nuzzled desperately against her cheek, choking on his overjoyed tears. "Integra, I'm here, I'm here, you're alright, we're alright..."

"I thought they were going to take me away from you," sobbed Integra, nuzzling back against him furiously. "I thought he was going to... or she would... I thought they would keep me forever. I was praying for death. God, I... I missed you so much, I missed touching you, I missed holding you..." She broke off, shaking her head.

"I know, I know, I thought they would kill us both but we lived, Integra, we lived—I'm never leaving your side again for as long as I still breathe." Alucard whispered harshly through his tears, tightening his arms around her and purring with relief and comfort. "I missed you too, so, so much, I thought I'd never hold you again, but—gods, Integra, I love you so much—" He broke off as Integra  suddenly kissed him firmly and responded in kind, gripping her face in his hands.

"They don't look like they've simply been starved," said Seras quietly to Pip as she watched them croon to each other. "Look at the amount of blood that's in here. It doesn't make any sense. Why are they barely dressed? Why do their clothes have gashes in them? What happened here?" 

Pip lit his cigarette and shrugged as he looked around the cellblock, his eye narrowed. "The amount of blood on the grates still doesn't match up with their injuries, that's for sure...I've heard enough horrible shit about the Rhinelanders to know that they wouldn't just starve them in solitary confinement." He holstered his gun and walked over to the still-gasping lizard Doktor. He grabbed the lizardman by the scruff and shook him. "Hey, you. Speak Wallachian? What the fuck do you do to Princess Integra and Prince Alucard?"

The Doktor gave a maniacal giggle that broke off into a groan of pain, wriggling weakly in Pip's grasp. After another shake, he began to explain himself. "Isn't it… isn't it obvious? We tortured them—tortured them every which way we knew how, plus a few more… limbs, eyes, choking, assault, whipping, drowning, teeth, bloodletting, forced heats... we did it all, and my serum brought them back every time!" He threw back his head and laughed, his long tongue lolling out of his mouth. 

Snarling, Pip drew his hunting knife and drew it sharply across the lizardman's neck; he broke off with a gurgle and slumped to the floor. "Shit. Shit!" Pip growled, kicking the Doktor's corpse before rubbing a hand over his face. "Monsters..."

Seras stumbled back. Suddenly, she felt like vomiting. "It should have been me," she murmured, shaking where she stood. "Oh God, it should have been me. I've failed, I let my lady suffer so much... oh, God..." She looked over at Integra and Alucard, trying to hold in her tears. The last thing she wanted was to add to their distress. 

Pip frowned, shaking his head. "Hey, hey, don't say that." He put a comforting wing around her shoulder and kissed the side of her hair. "We got to them in time, and we're going to take them home. There was nothing we could've done, Seras—we got here as fast as we could. You can't blame yourself for what those bastards did here," he soothed, petting her hair gently. His eye fell on the exhausted couple in the corner as well and he sighed sadly. "Gods. We need to get them out of here as soon as possible—being in this cell isn't doing them any favors." Kissing Seras's cheek once more, he slowly approached the couple, trying his best to appear nonthreatening.   
  


Alucard was pressing his forehead against Integra’s when they broke for breath. "My beautiful, strong, incredible Integra, gods, I was so scared… I’ll never leave you, Integra, never again.” 

"No, you can't leave me," said Integra in agreement, her purr coming out to answer his. "Alucard, don't leave me again." Her breathing slowly regulated itself as she inhaled his scent, reaching the calmest state she had been in for the last two weeks. "I love you," she said drowsily. Her body was malnourished and exhausted.

"I'll never, never leave you, never, I'll stay right here with you for the rest of my life..." Alucard insisted, nuzzling desperately against her neck with his purrs rumbling through his exhausted frame; her scent made all his pain and stress melt away, her warm body soothing him better than any balm to his wounds. "I love you too, my Integra… I love you so much. I'm so happy..." His grip loosened a little as he exhaled, his body finally coming down from its adrenaline high. He leaned his head against hers, stroking her wings slowly before his tired eyes noticed Pip and Seras. His wings tucked closer around Integra defensively, but he was too exhausted to do much more.

Seras nodded, kissing his cheek and walking over to the couple as well. "My lady?" she said softly, kneeling down to their eye level and trying not to seem like a threat. "Prince Alucard? It's me, Seras. Pip is here, too. We've come to take you both home. Does that sound good?" 

"Seras?" said Integra faintly, her voice muffled into Alucard's neck. 

Seras smiled, not daring to touch her lady. "Yes, Seras," she said. "Do you want to leave now?" 

"Yes," said Integra, nuzzling further into Alucard's neck. She didn't want to look at the cell that she had been tortured nearly to insanity in ever again. "I need to get these chains off of me."

Alucard’s arms were still tightly wrapped around Integra. "Yes. Get us out of here." he ordered, though his voice lacked any semblance of his usual strength. The Rhinelanders had come dangerously close to pushing the already unstable prince over the edge; but with Integra at his side again, he couldn't help but feel like himself again. He nuzzled and kissed at his mate's hair.

Pip's eyebrows furrowed, but he nodded and headed for what looked like a control panel near the door. After a moment of studying the symbols, he pressed one; the manacles around Alucard and Integra beeped quietly and unlatched, falling to the grates. "There. That's better," he sighed, undoing his cape and then his scarf—which, when unfolded, served as a decent blanket—before holding it out to Alucard and Integra. He wasn't about to get any closer to the hyper-defensive, traumatized pair of mates than he had to for fear of losing a limb. "Here my lord, take these and give one to the Princess; it's snowing heavily outside."

Alucard rubbed at his freed wrists—fractured and bloodied, but free—and took the cape and scarf without thanks, wrapping the fur-lined cape around Integra's shoulders and the unfolded scarf around his own. 

Integra took the cape with a murmured thank you and cuddled into it, relieved to have more clothes covering her body. 

Alucard touched Integra's cheek gently, getting to his knees. "Can you stand?"

She was silent for a long moment, thinking it over. "I can try," she said, using Alucard as a prop to help her up. But it had been two weeks since she had been allowed to stand, and in that time her body had temporarily forgotten. As soon as she tried to stand without Alucard to help her, she let out a small cry and toppled back onto him, burying her head in his neck again. "I can't," she said wretchedly, feeling ashamed of her own weakness. "I can't stand." 

Alucard caught Integra and lowered her to the ground beside him, smoothing her hair in comfort as she buried her face in his neck. "It's alright, sweetheart, that's alright… you're just tired, that's all. It's okay," he whispered to her, nuzzling her cheek. He desperately wanted to carry her himself, but he knew he wasn't in any shape to try.

Seras looked over at Pip in distress and worry.  _ Can you carry her? _ she mouthed, worried about upsetting the Prince.

Pip frowned and nodded to Seras in confirmation. "Er, Sir Integra, I could carry you… if you'd like." He took a step forward despite Alucard's glare, swallowing his nerves as his wings lowered submissively. "It won't be for long; I just don't think either of you should aggravate your wounds by moving too much."

"I'm so, so tired," whined Integra in response to Alucard's reassurance, before wearily looking up and craning her neck to face Pip. "Thank you, Captain Bernadotte," she said, her voice hoarse. She looked back at Alucard and kissed him, communicating that she wished she didn't have to stop touching him before turning around once more, making herself available for Pip to carry. 

"Pip will make sure Integra is safe," Seras assured Alucard, nervous about the way he was looking at her mate.

Pip smiled reassuringly at Integra as she agreed to be carried. "My pleasure, Your Highness." He replied, bowing his head once before kneeling to pick her up. He eyed Alucard nervously, not placing a hand on Integra until he stopped growling.

The prince was far from pleased about being separated from his mate, whining worriedly when Integra kissed him and drew away. Rationally, he knew it was the only way that Integra could leave the cell safely, but he couldn't prevent the protective growl from rising in his chest. He huffed. "It… it’s fine. Proceed." With one last look at Integra, he got to his feet, legs trembling but holding him upright. "Did you two manage to find our armor and weapons?"

With a sigh of relief, Pip took Integra into his arms as gently as he could manage, taking care to keep her covered with the cape. "There we go." He shook his head at Alucard's question. "Not yet—recovering you two was our first priority. But the second team should be sweeping through soon enough; they'll find them."

As they left the Rhineland castle, Integra fell asleep in Pip's arms, though it was more like a loss of consciousness. She lay limp, almost dead to the world.

Alucard managed to walk as far as it took to get to the carriage provided for him, but once he reached it and knew that he and Integra were safe, he collapsed.

 

* * *

 

The next thing Integra was aware of was someone saying her name. She was pulled into consciousness with panic, furious at herself for falling asleep so soundly. H _ e's going to hurt me, he's going to hurt Alucard, he's going to hurt us, hurt us, hurt— _ "No!" she screamed, covering herself with her arms defensively and cowering back onto the soft surface, not bothering to fight against the restraints that entrapped her.

Wait... soft? And why were those restraints... different?

Alucard was roused from his deep sleep by a sudden scream that jolted him out of unconsciousness in a split second, berating himself for letting his guard down for even a moment; he needed to be there for Integra when they started in on her, just in case today was the day they would—"Get away from her!" He snarled blindly as he sat up—but there was no tug back on his chains at the motion. A warm body was in his arms.

Integra felt the ground below her and was surprised to find that it was actually a mattress. She was on a bed. She felt the restraints and realized they were hairy. She blinked, looking around and trying to make sense of her surroundings.

"Prince Vladislav, Princess Integra, please calm yourselves. You're alright, you're home."

Alucard jerked his head toward the voice and found the familiar face of Dr. Trevelyan staring back at him, carrying a tray of bottles and mugs. Blinking hard and uncertain if what he was seeing was an illusion, he looked around the room—his room—before his eyes rested on Integra, who was curled up in his arms with an expression that said she was as confused as he was. "Integra?" He rasped, stroking her hair distractedly. "How did...?"

"Home," Integra repeated, her ice blue eyes wide in amazement. "I'm... we're home?" Her voice cracked on that last word, as her mouth was awfully dry. She turned to find Alucard staring back at her, and her eyes nearly rolled back in relief. "Alucard," she sighed, leaning in to kiss him deeply. "Thank God, thank all the Gods..." 

Alucard nodded, quite dumbfounded himself at the revelation that they had made it—they were both home. "Integra," He repeated, his voice coloured with pure relief, and he cupped her face to his as she leaned in to kiss him soundly. "We're home, my love, we're home...the gods heard us." He whispered against her mouth, kissing her several more times on the lips and cheek before turning to Dr. Trevelyan, who was relatively unfazed.

"You don't remember coming home, do you? I can hardly blame you." The Doctor  sighed, setting the tray aside. "You were received by the King and Queen, you bathed, ate and hydrated, and went straight to sleep. For almost a full day, actually."

"Ah, my apologies," Integra said, not exactly sounding sorry. "I... I don't remember any of that.”

“Not surprising,” said Dr. Trevelyan with a nod of understanding. He pulled up a chair and sat down, giving the couple ample space. "How do you both feel?"

Integra frowned. “I feel..." She took a minute to assess herself. "Sore. Thirsty." She eyed the tray he was holding in the hopes that there would be something to drink on it.

Alucard’s protective instincts reared with a vengeance as Integra noted she was in need of something. "You heard her—get her something to drink! She's said she's thirsty, she might be dehydrated!" He snarled, waving an imperious hand at the doctor.

"Alucard, be nice," said Integra softly, lightly cuffing him on the side of his head. But secretly she was happy to have him so close and overprotective; needing the constant support and affection to make her feel safe again. 

Alucard huffed at Integra's gentle chastisement, but nuzzled back against her, undeterred. Though he was tired, his nerves felt like they were in hyperdrive with the urge to protect and provide for Integra's every need to make up for two weeks of serious neglect. 

Thankfully, Dr. Trevelyan was still unfazed. With a quiet sigh, he took the two mugs from his tray and handed them to the two nobles. "I actually came to deliver you some tea and medications. The tea has restorative properties to encourage feather growth, muscle regeneration, and is mild enough for your stomachs to handle. Drink slowly, though—it's hot." He folded his hands in his lap. "And how are you feeling, Prince Vladislav?"

Both the Prince and Princess immediately took sips of their tea, and winced as the hot liquid hurt their sore throats. Alucard tucked a wing around Integra's shoulders, pressing as close as he could to her side. "Fine. My ankles and wrists are sore—might be fractured." 

Integra hummed in worry at Alucard's comment about his fractured limbs, gently picking up his forearm and kissing it tenderly. 

Alucard smiled fondly at his wife and nosed at her hair, gently preening. "Are you alright, dear heart? Anything in particular you need?"

"I'm fine,” Integra said softly. “The tea is nice." She frowned. "I'm not hungry, oddly enough."

Alucard kissed her cheek tenderly. He felt like he might collapse into dust if she left his side for even a minute; now that she and he were safe together again, he couldn't fathom being apart again. He gently butted his forehead against hers. "Then I'm fine, too."

Dr. Trevelyan couldn't help a smile at the couple's affectionate interactions. "Well, I'm glad that—for the most part, you two are doing well. But Sir Integra, your lack of appetite is to be expected after a prolonged period of starvation and malnourishment. But I must insist that you do eat. Vegetable soups, raw fruits, porridge... very mild foods, of course. I'll have a maid send up a tray for you." He picked up a bottle of pale green liquid and another of small white pills. "Now, after you eat, you must take a spoonful of this—it's to aid with digestion and nutrient retention—and the pills are for strengthening your immune system." He paused as the couple sipped at their tea. "You're going to be very tired, most likely very irritable with everyone but each other from the need to restrengthen your bond. Don't hesitate to nap, but not for more than two hours at most. For relaxation, I'd recommend taking a long bath in the hot springs and grooming one another. Any questions?"

Integra groaned at Dr. Trevelyan's speech, her still foggy head swimming with all the instructions he had just given her. "Uh... of course," she said, turning to cuddle back into Alucard again. "Maybe tell Seras all of that? I can't really... concentrate..." 

Dr. Trevelyan blinked, then nodded with an apologetic frown. "Right, of course, milady. I'll make certain to inform Miss Victoria of my instructions. I apologize for dropping all that information on you at once. May I simply recommend a bath for now?”

Finally, his words registered with Integra. "Alucard, I want to take a bath right now," she said, bringing her hands into his hair. "I suppose I should try standing up, as well."

Dr. Trevelyan stood, looking between the couple. "Yes, I believe you should try to exercise your leg muscles as much as possible before they atrophy further. I'll leave these medications here; a servant should be by with your brunch soon enough. The Queen also mentioned wanting to see you both at your earliest convenience."

"It's fine," said Integra absentmindedly, still running her hands through Alucard's hair. "Thank you, thank you." Clearly she wasn't listening to the doctor at all; she was too wrapped up in the unending happiness of being close to her mate again.

Alucard smoothed Integra's wings under his palm with an adoring smile, almost completely ignoring the doctor's instructions in favor of focusing on Integra. "Mhmm, thank you, doctor—you're excused," he said, casting him a quick nod of thanks before looking back to his wife.

Dr. Trevelyan gave a curt bow and left the room, wondering if anything he had said had sunk in for either noble.

"A bath sounds nice, doesn't it?” Alucard was saying to Integra. “Here, hold on to me and make sure to stand slowly." He stood shakily for a moment before moving to slowly assist Integra to her feet. "Mmh, a nice hot bath...it feels like years since we had one."

Integra pouted when Alucard stood up, but nodded and allowed him to help her up. She certainly wobbled in place for a few moments, but with support she was able to stay still. "It hurts," she grumbled, moving to try and walk. 

Alucard cooed sympathetically at Integra's admission of pain, keeping a hand on her waist and a wing around her shoulders. "I'm sorry, my love. I'll give you a massage when we get in the bath, alright?" He nuzzled her hair and kissed the top of her head as he pushed open the door to the hot bath. He shivered at the sudden blast of humid air, both royals fluttering their wings with anticipation.

"A massage sounds nice," admitted Integra, allowing herself to be guided. She smiled a pained smile at him. "Got to make up for lost time, I suppose."

"Absolutely. I intend to spend a lot of time in this bath for the next couple days...if that's something you'd like to do, I mean." Alucard’s desire to make sure Integra was happy and comfortable came first—if Integra said it would make her happy if he poured a bucket of ice water on his head every morning, he'd do it without complaint. 

"And that's exactly what I want to do. I just want to relax and appreciate not having to... do anything bad," Integra finished lamely, not wanting to get into specifics.

Alucard smiled faintly at Integra's admission, shifting out of his underclothes. "I second that idea. Just you, some nice food, tea, a warm bed, a hot bath...mmh. Sounds heavenly." He sighed; he hadn't realized how truly good he had it until it was all stripped away to be replaced with pain—pain that seemed to go on forever, memories dredged up that he—

“Alucard?” Integra said immediately in panic. She saw the way his eyes were going foggy. “Come back to me, please.” 

The prince blinked, his eyes clearing again. "I’m sorry,” he said softly, leaning down to kiss her head and console her. “Do you need help undressing?" He pulled off his nightshirt, hissing when it stretched his bruised ribs.

"I don't think I need help," Integra said, much relieved, sitting on the edge of the bath to pull off her own nightshirt. "Are you ok?" She turned at his noise of pain and frowned when she saw the bruises on his chest. "Oh, Alucard..." He came out of the Rhineland castle much more physically worse for wear than she did, though she did in fact have several bruises. She was also quite thin. 

Alucard looked down at himself. "Oh, these are nothing; I'm fine. Bruised ribs are better than cracked ones." He sat down next to her on the edge of the bath and glanced over her bare body, assessing any bruises or wounds she had. His eyebrows furrowed at the sight of them, and he nuzzled her cheek. "Integra..." Trailing off, he lowered his eyes to the water. However much he wanted to soothe Integra's wounds, he knew the acknowledgement of them would bring back memories she'd rather not think about. Shaking the thought from his head, he lowered himself into the water till his feet touched the rocky bottom. He turned around and held his arms out to Integra, smiling again. "Come on in, the water's fine."

Integra she wriggled self-consciously at his inspection of her body. She knew that she was very skinny now, and probably hideous with all of her bruising and the bags under her eyes. She crossed her hands in front of her chest, suddenly not keen on the idea of being naked with him in the bath. "I... maybe I should wait until you're done," she said reluctantly. Very reluctantly; she wanted more than anything to be with him.

Alucard's brows furrowed in confusion at Integra's sudden change in demeanor. She looked almost shy, self-conscious—something she hadn't been in front of him for months now. What was the matter? "Integra?" he asked with concern in his tone, stepping forward to lay his hands on the edge of the bath. "Did I say something?" He brushed his too-long hair over his shoulder and smoothed a palm over her bruised knee in comfort. The boniness of it worried him, and he bent to kiss it before looking up to study her face. "Are you... are you alright?"

"No, it's..." said Integra, before trailing off as he touched and kissed her knee and sighing. "I know I look dreadful right now, I..." She couldn't finish her thought. Rationally she knew that it would be ridiculous for her to condemn her for wasting away at the hands of the beastmen, but she was hardly in a rational state of mind. "Alucard, I look hideous. If you don't want to touch me, I understand."

Alucard felt his heart crack a little at Integra's self-deprecation and shook his head, taking his wife's thin hands in his to squeeze them gently. "Integra, beloved, no. Please don't say that." He kissed the back of her hands feverishly, trying to prove how sincere he was. "It's true that we've both seen better days, but to have you at my side, alive, makes you look just as beautiful as ever to me. Your resilience, your will to live… that's what attracted me to you in the first place, and I love it now even more—so much." 

Every word made Integra's heart beat just a bit faster, and she blushed and looked away at his praise. "You have such a way with words," she murmured. 

He bent his head to kiss her knees again, closing his eyes as he leaned his forehead against them. "Integra, I spent so long unable to touch you that I—I don't think I can stop now that I have you back. I want you, and I—I always will. Please don't doubt that now."

Integra sighed, bringing her hands to his shoulders and pushing him back so she could slide into the bath, steadying herself using her grip on him. "I do hate feeling so weak," she grumbled, before softening and smiling up at him. "But if you still want me..." 

Alucard smiled at Integra's faint blush, pleased that she had taken his words to heart. "I save the best of them for you," He told her teasingly, placing his hands on her waist to help her into the bath and leaving them there when she was settled. He smoothed her hair from her face, his smile widening a fraction; it felt like years since he had last smiled. "In weakness or in health, I'll always want you. I think I said something along those lines at our wedding, didn't I?" 

"I can't believe I was so terrified of marrying you," Integra said with a small laugh, before replying to his happy hum with one of her own. She leaned her inconsequential weight on his shoulders, standing on her tiptoes and hoping he'd lean down for a kiss.

Integra's request for a kiss didn't go unanswered; he bent down and pressed his lips to hers, humming happily. After a while of chaste kissing, he licked into her mouth with a bit of hesitation, not wanting to overwhelm her or trigger any bad memories.

And indeed she enjoyed the closed-mouth kissing very much, but as soon as he licked into her mouth she happily opened it. Her hum turned into a moan as she pulled him closer, wanting to lift herself up in his arms but not having the strength at the moment to do so. She had worried, back in Rhineland, that her experiences at the hands of the lecherous beastmen would turn her off intimacy with Alucard. But those worries had not even come close to fruition. Alucard was neither fat with hooves, nor was he covered with bristly fur. He was not a beastman. He was her mate, the love of her life, and she wanted him more than ever. She wanted him gently for now, but she still wanted him.

Alucard chuckled against her lips before moving back in, kissing her languidly; they had all the time in the world now, and he intended to spend much of it adoring Integra. Every day of their capture he had ached to touch her, kiss her, comfort her—and he was overjoyed to be able to do just that. He was overjoyed to simply be alive with her: his mate, his wife, his Integra. "Mmh, Integra..." he purred, kissing down her throat with deliberate slowness as his palms smoothed up and down her sides, "can I...wash your wings...? Gentle, I'll be gentle..."

Integra sighed at his touch, nuzzling his hair as he kissed her throat. "I know you'll be gentle," she murmured, kissing the crown of his head. "I know it. For such a big person, you're the most gentle man I've ever met." She loved him, loved him so much. Loved his scent, his skin, his everything. She stepped back and turned around, spreading her wings for him to get to.

"Just for you… gentle for you, always..." Alucard purred, licking and nibbling gently at her throat before reaching blindly for the soap behind him while his hands moved up to pet her wings. He adored seeing her wings free, even if they were ragged and dulled from neglect; they were hers and he couldn't stop running his hands through her feathers. "Feel alright?" He asked, pouring some water on her wings and massaging the warm moisture through the silvery feathers while he nosed at her cheek.

Integra closed her eyes and moaned; her wings shivered happily and pushed against his touch. "Feels amazing," she murmured. "This bath is amazing. God, I missed you so much, Alucard."

Alucard smiled at the energy Integra's wings seemed to be showing, their eagerness to be touched; she had hardly moved them in the entire time they had been captured, probably in a subconscious effort to keep them from the beastmen's attention. He shook the thought from his head and rubbed his soapy fingers gently through the silver-white feathers, massaging the sweet-scented bubbles into the thin muscle. The feathers seemed to lose their dullness under his touch, though that could've easily been his imagination. "I'm glad you're enjoying it," He purred, pressing closer against her back. "I missed you too, so much… I missed your laugh," He kissed her shoulder; "I missed your smile," He nuzzled under her chin; "I missed putting my hands on you," He mouthed along her throat, brushing his fangs just lightly against it as he felt a foreign-familiar arousal stirring in his gut; "I missed hearing you moan my name when I stroked your wings..."

With every rub of Alucard's hands into her wings, Integra gasped in pleasure. The idea of someone touching her without hurting her had become so foreign; this was exhilarating and left her awash with relief. "I missed your smile, too," she said breathlessly, lifting up a hand to hold onto his hair for security and reassurance that he was still there and making Alucard’s purrs lower in pitch. "I missed your hands on me." She let out a small high-pitched noise as his fangs brushed against her throat. "Alucard, I'll moan your name as much as you want me to." For the first time in what felt like forever, her arousal was making an appearance. It curled in her lower half, bringing out a purr of satisfaction from her throat.

Alucard increased the pressure of his touch on her wings, massaging inward to the more sensitive inner feathers. After Rip's sexual torment of him throughout the two weeks of his capture, he hadn't thought it would be so easy to be turned on again—but with Integra, it was effortless. He groaned in time with her high-pitched noise of satisfaction and laved his rough tongue over the mark he had left what felt like years ago on her neck.

"Mmh, I look forward to it..." he murmured, briefly dropping his hands to rinse them in the bath before brushing more water through her wings, washing any residual grime away while moving ever closer to the hyper-sensitive bundle of nerves near the base. 

" _ Ahhh _ ," moaned Integra, closing her eyes and biting her lip as Alucard drew closer to one of the most sensitive parts of her body. 

Alucard chuckled breathlessly as Integra gave a long moan, the moan that always signaled she was close to coming from having her wings stroked. "Ah, I've missed that noise..." But even with his mind clouding with desire, it occurred to him that Integra might not be entirely onboard with being intimate so soon after experiencing so much violation at the hands of the beastmen. "Integra… do you want… can I...?" he asked breathlessly, lightly gripping her damp feathers while his lips brushed her neck.

She wanted more, more, more. She wanted to drown in him. She whined in protest as he took his hands away, before widening her eyes and keening as he moved closer and closer. "Of course I want it!" she said desperately, her inner muscles clenching. 

He purred amorously, one hand going to her hip and turned her around to face him. His damp wings spread out behind him, dripping wet but still insistently displaying his arousal for his mate now that she confirmed she felt the same. 

"Alucard, noooo..." whined Integra, pouting as he turned her around. Her wings were still shuddering, puffed up and hypersensitive. "I was so close..." She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure, but her eyes were teary and her face was flushed. 

Alucard huffed out another chuckle at Integra's pout, kissing her lips and nuzzling her cheek as apology. "I know, love, but I'll make it up to you." He looked her over with adoring eyes before stepping forward, pressing his body flush against hers. "I've missed you." He ducked to kiss Integra soundly, his warm hands cupping her face. "How do you… how do you want me?"

She moaned softly as he pressed their bodies together, feeling his cock rub happily against her stomach. "Do... you could sit down," she said, looking up at him impatiently. "I could sit on your lap?"

The prince considered his wife's suggestion for a moment and then nodded when he realized he was still in no physical shape to lift her and hold her against him for the time it would take for them both to come—especially if they wanted to take it slow. With a quiet splash, he sat back against the edge of the bath and drew her gently on top of him, hissing as his cock brushed along her thighs. " _ Haah _ … Integra… gods, I want you… slow, slowly, I want to bask in you..."

Integra sighed as he guided her onto his lap. "You have to loosen me up first," she murmured, kissing his forehead and rolling her hips against his hardness. "You're so big, remember? I need to get ready for you." She smiled, knowing in advance the effect her words would have on him.

Nuzzling her neck, Alucard groaned when Integra rolled her hips down against him and clutched her closer to his chest, adoring the sensation of feeling her heart beat. Her words sent a shiver of arousal through him; restraining his urge to buck up against her was taking significant self-control. "Right, of course," He murmured, reaching down between their bodies to prepare her with one hand while the other stroked her inner feathers. He moaned quietly at the heat of her and pressed his forehead into her neck, kissing and nibbling with delight while his fingers stroked and prepared her. "So hot… feels so good already, Integra..."

Integra smiled at the effect her body and words had on Alucard. "You're so impulsive," she murmured, before moaning at the way his fingers felt inside of her and fisting her hands into his hair, pulling him closer to her. "It... yes, it feels good, Alucard..." As she grew accustomed to his fingers, she began rolling her hips into them, nice and slow.

Alucard purred as Integra tugged him closer by his hair, his smile spreading into a grin that made his fangs brush her throat. "Good… good," he murmured, his breathing coming in heavy, slow pants as Integra ground her hips down onto his fingers. He added another finger with a quiet grunt, his other hand smoothing through her feathers. "Still feels alright?"

The slight discomfort from Alucard's added finger was quite diminished by the way his hand felt running through her inner feathers. Integra groaned in pleasure, nodding and leaning down to kiss the top of his head again. "Feels good," she repeated, sighing happily. "I love you."

Humming with happiness, Alucard kissed his mark on her neck and laved his rough tongue over it. He felt warm, safe—something he hadn't felt for the entirety of his capture. He pressed himself impossibly closer to Integra, rubbing his bearded cheek against her shoulder like an affectionate cat as he continued to prepare her. "I love you too, Integra. I love you so much… my beautiful, strong Integra."

"Oh, yes," murmured Integra, her eyes rolling back slightly as Alucard's mouth loved the mark on her neck. "Oh, Alucard, I love you... do you think I'm ready? I want to you to be inside me." She clenched around Alucard's fingers at the thought.

"Mmm… I love you too..." Alucard nuzzled her shoulder again and drew back to face her, smiling adoringly, his cheeks flushed from arousal and the heat of the bath. He gave a quiet grunt of desire as Integra clenched around her fingers and nodded jerkily. "Yes...yes, I think you're ready if you think you are. I… I want to be inside you again..." He kissed along her face before adjusting her atop him, leaving it up to her as to how quickly she wanted to take him in.

"Ugh, I'm going to regret not having more preparation," groused Integra, but she was already taking a hold of him in her hand and slowly, slowly sinking down. She bit her lip hard, trying to regulate her breathing and relax.

Alucard chuckled, nudging her cheek with his nose. "Just go slow." He told her before breaking off with a low, lustful moan, throwing his head back at the incredible sensation of finally, finally being inside Integra again; for a moment he was so overwhelmed that he couldn't breathe. It had been so long, and he had missed her so much—he felt that all of the torment Rip and Zorin had brought upon him were wiped away with Integra's touch, healing him, almost even blessing him.

Integra closed her eyes, but the idea of someone touching her that she couldn't see nearly made her panic, so she opened her eyes immediately and gazed at him with a hungry adoration. "Thank God it's you," she murmured almost nonsensically.

One of his hands went instinctively to her inner feathers, stroking distractedly as he exhaled. The other rested on Integra's cheek. His eyes met Integra's and he nodded, somehow understanding what she meant. "It's me, Integra. It's me, it will only ever be me from now on. We're alright." He soothed, kissing her gently. "We're safe here, together. We're home."

"It's always only been you," gasped Integra as she sunk down until he bottomed out inside her. She kissed him for a moment before pulling back and nuzzling desperately against him. "It's only ever going to be you. We're safe, we're home, and they've ruined nothing. They've broken nothing."

Alucard groaned in ecstasy as Integra sank fully down onto him, his fingers spasming around her feathers before resuming the gentle, sensuous petting. "Yes," He purred against her lips before nuzzling back against her, rubbing his cheek against hers adoringly and breathing in her scent. Pure and fresh, just as he remembered—like new silver or fresh sweet water. His purrs lowered in pitch and he rested his head against hers. "Yes, Integra...we've won. Of course we won, of course we're safe, we're together..." he breathed in her ear before gently rolling his hips against hers, wanting to feel as much of his mate as possible.

Integra whimpered at the way he handled her wings coupled with how he felt inside of her—so big. She never could manage to purr when she was in the middle of making love with him, but she showed her satisfaction in other ways. Like kissing all over his face until he moved inside of her, causing her to tighten her grip on his hair and moan. "More," she ordered huskily.

Alucard smiled as Integra showered his face in kisses and gripped his hair tighter, just the way he liked it. His wings flared with unrestrained arousal at her husky order as he ducked in to kiss her deeply; one hand moved under her leg to lift it before adjusting his angle to thrust deeper, slowly, till his chest hit hers. "Aah… Integra..." he rasped, bending his head to lick a stripe up her throat.

"Alucard!" whined Integra in surprise as he lifted her leg. The adjusted angle drastically changed the way he entered her, making him strike her center in a positively deadly way. She gasped for air and attempted to clear her head. But he licked up her throat, laving his rough tongue against the mark he had made, and she couldn't escape the dreamlike fog she was in. She moved rhythmically against his thrusts, trying to get the most out of each one, moaning highly every time.

"Gods, Integra… I love you, I love you, I'm never letting you go..." Alucard murmured against her throat before breaking off into a low, pleasured moan as Integra rolled back against his thrusts. His hips canted rhythmically into hers, slowly, with each thrust hitting deep; he wanted to savor their first time making love since they were separated, to feel every part of Integra. He mouthed up her neck to her lips, licking into her mouth with groans of ecstasy. "Integra, Integra, Integra, gods I love you, so tight, hot… ah, I'm close...!" he gasped against her mouth, pressing his forehead to hers as he clutched her closer.

"I don't w-  _ ah _ , I don't want you to let me go," Integra moaned, moving her hands from his hair so she could wrap her arms around his neck. She clutched him tighter and tighter with each thrust, still letting out soft little moans that he swallowed in his kiss. "i love you, I love you," she insisted, her hot breath panting against his mouth. "You're so... so big... so good, I'm close too, I'm... come with me, please!" she cried, before leaning in to kiss him deeply as she came.

"Yesss..." Alucard groaned with adoration and lust as she held him ever closer, thrusting harder the closer she clutched him to her. “Gods, yes, yes, I'm—coming with you—!" He whispered harshly before their lips crashed together, his hand cupping her cheek as he came deep inside her, grunting against her mouth and swallowing her cries of pleasure. He rode through their combined orgasm steadily until finally he came down with a satisfied sigh, panting as he dropped his head to Integra's shoulder. "Mm, Integra, I missed you so much… love you so much..." He breathed, nuzzling her neck gently and kissing where his lips touched. "Was it alright...? Feel okay?"

After all that time, especially after what they had been through during the last two weeks, this felt like heaven for Integra. She lost herself in the movement of Alucard's hips, the way he felt like, the way he smelled and tasted. The orgasm this time was almost not as good as the fact that she was near him, touching him, loving him the way he deserved. As her orgasm ended, she rested her head on his shoulder and tried to even out her breathing. "Mmm, amazing," she murmured dreamily. She blinked and her eyes were blurry; she was crying.

Alucard hugged Integra tightly to him, folding his wings around them both; the warmth of her body and the closeness of her felt nothing short of heavenly. He had missed her so, so much—more than he thought he could ever miss a person. He was panting from the exertion and duly noted to begin regaining his strength as soon as possible, if only to be able to go another round of lovemaking with his wife. His mind was foggy with adoration for Integra, nearly making him swoon with the force of it. He readjusted his grip on her when he realized his hands were slipping and sighed against her neck. "Good..." He whispered hoarsely, petting her hair gently, pausing when he felt a wetness against his shoulder. "Integra? Are you alright?"

Integra sniffled, letting out a tearful chuckle as she nodded. "I'm f-fine, Alucard," she said. "I don't know why I'm crying. I'm s-so happy to be with you. I missed you so much, I know that's so silly because you were right there. But I missed you... I missed you so much. I'm sorry you suffered. I love you."

Alucard nuzzled desperately against her hair, feeling tears prickle the corners of his eyes. His wings closed tighter around her and a comforting  purr rose in his throat, though he felt a lump rise in it with Integra's words. "I know exactly what you mean, I know, my love. It's not silly." He assured her, kissing away her tears and licking the wetness from her cheeks with his rough tongue. 

But she flinched, and he realized that the lioness Zorin had licked her so many times that it was too soon. He froze, ready to pull back from her. But she didn’t push him away, still wanting his touch, so he settled for kissing her forehead apologetically. "I missed you too—I wanted to touch you more than anything, and now I finally have you back—"

He choked off, his emotions rising too high for him to continue. He squeezed her around the waist before giving a deep sigh. "I'm the one who should be apologizing for...for what you went through. You suffered so much, and I… I couldn't do anything to stop them, even though I'm your mate, until..." He blinked hard to prevent the tears from falling at the thought, but one slipped down his cheek unbidden. "I love you so much, Integra. I'll never...I'll never let you suffer like that again."

Integra sighed shakily and reached up to wipe the tear away from his face with her thumb, cupping his cheeks afterward. "I don't want you to apologize to me," she said gently. "There was nothing you could have done. You broke out of Rhineland chains for me after two weeks of starvation and torture; that's superhuman. You're my hero, Alucard."

Alucard purred quietly in relief and thanks as Integra reached to cup his cheeks, closing his eyes. "I just wish I could've..." He sighed, leaning into her palm and looking away. "I don't know why I couldn't do it sooner. I'm just—" He broke off when his voice cracked with emotion, kissing her palm until he could regain his composure. 

Integra sighed once more as she watched him. "Let's not think about that. You did it, and that's all that matters." 

"Thank you for saying so. But I would never have lasted more than a day and a half without you. You saved me, Integra." Gently, he began nuzzling under her chin again before a yawn interrupted him. "Gods, I just woke up and I'm exhausted again..."

She smiled tiredly at his words. "Well, I'm glad I saved you. You're worth it." His yawn made her yawn in reply, and when it was over she lay her head down on his shoulder. "It's the malnutrition," she said softly. "We should eat something before sleeping again."

Alucard nodded his head in Integra's palm, looking drowsier by the minute. He kissed her hand and sat up straight, gently disentangling himself from Integra's arms. "We should...I hope the servants brought some food while we were in here, because I'm too tired to go down and get it myself." He chuffed, wearily stepping back into the bath to quickly wash himself off. He resurfaced and pushed his hair back from his face to smile at Integra, his wings fluttering to shake off the droplets. "Did Dr. Trevelyan mention something about my mother needing to see us? I wasn't listening at all to anything he said after he gave us the tea."

Integra frowned as Alucard stepped away from her, missing his touch even if it was only for a moment. She quickly reaching out to take his hand when he was done rinsing off, stepping into the bath herself to do the same. She swayed a bit as she stood back up, clinging on to him with a frown. "What?" she said foggily. "Oh. I... I don't remember." He stomach growled and she put a hand to it in surprise.

Alucard soon reached back to Integra when he finished rinsing off, wanting to keep contact with his mate even when they were only apart for a brief moment or two. He steadied her around the waist with a worried expression, nuzzling her neck as she kissed his cheek in thanks. "Maybe we shouldn't have stayed in the hot bath for so long...I don't want you to get dehydrated." He paused, smiling at her growling stomach and giving it a little pat over her hand.

"Well, first thing's first; let's get us something to eat, then we'll see about other people, hm?" Shaking his wings off once more, he stepped out of the bath, keeping a hand on Integra's waist to steady her when she joined him. As soon as they left the bath, he grabbed two warm towels that had been placed by the door and wrapped one around Integra's shoulders.

"I'm already dehydrated," groused Integra. "Eating sounds good." She grabbed the towel and happily dried herself off; the more she washed, the more the grime and blood from her two weeks in captivity would leave her body forever.

Alucard walked into the bedroom, and noticed a large array of soups, fruits, and breads. "Looks like the servants have come and gone. Mmh, that soup smells divine..." He tied his towel around his waist after drying off and went to the bed, where a tray of food sat on the bedside table.

Integra shook her wings, before wrapping her considerably long hair in her towel and squeezing it one more time before reaching for a nightdress from her drawer. As soon as she was dressed, she went over to eye the food. It was only soup and fruit, but the smell was certainly pleasant for someone who had been sucking the blood from beastman corpses for the past two weeks...  _ ugh _ . Just the thought of it was making her queasy again. "It does," she said, trying to take her mind off of it.

Alucard hummed happily as he took a bowl of soup for himself and a couple slices of apple on bread before sitting down on the side of the bed, keeping an eye on Integra to see if she was taking enough food for herself; one of his wings still brushed her side, as the need to be touching Integra somehow was still very much present. This was far better than stripping half-rotted beastmen corpses with his teeth; the food was fresh and hot, making him nearly moan with the taste of the plain vegetable-and-chicken broth. "Gods that's good..." he mumbled before digging back in, trying to pace himself without much success.

Integra took a bowl for herself, along with some grapes and a roll. Her wing brushed his as she started to eat, sighing at how good everything felt going down her throat. "Don't eat too fast," she chided Alucard, but she was having trouble slowing down herself.

“I’ll be fine,” Alucard replied to her in assurance. However, just as he lifted the bowl to drain it dry, there was a knock at the door. A low growl left his throat and his wings spread aggressively, aggravated that someone would dare to interrupt he and Integra's private space.

When she heard the knock at the door, Integra nearly choked on a grape as she inhaled and moved quickly to press her body up against Alucard's side, looking for security.

Alucard set his bowl aside, still growling, and put a wing around Integra's shoulders, tucking her tight against his side and partially hiding her from view. His hands shook, and he clenched them into fists on his knees to try to stop it from being too noticeable. 

Integra would not have noticed if Alucard's hands were shaking, as her whole body was shaking slightly, especially her wings. 

"Who is it?" Alucard barked, his whole body coiled to fight if need be.

"It's your mother, Alucard," said a gentle, low voice from behind the heavy wooden door. "May I come in?"

Integra relaxed significantly. She had always been very fond of Alucard's mother—one of the first people to be nice to her in Wallachia. "Alucard," she murmured. "Be nice."

Alucard relaxed a fraction, but kept his wing close around Integra. Glancing down to reassure her and himself, he nodded. "Yes," he said finally, still tensed to spring into battle. "You can come in, Mother."

After a brief pause, the door opened and the Queen let herself in, closing the door behind her. She was in heavy black mourning robes, her long, curly hair in more disarray than usual, and her crown as the only object of jewelry she wore. The moment she took in Integra and Alucard's emaciated and tense forms, her face fell, and her pale blue-purple eyes watered with tears. "Oh, my poor darlings..." She whispered, advancing to embrace the couple; but at their visible flinch backward, she paused and wrung her hands, looking as if she was just barely holding back tears. "I...came to see how you two were. We only spoke so briefly last night, and you both were so..." The Queen looked down and away, raising a hand to her lips.

Integra managed to smile at her. "Mother," she said. "Our apologies for not being... present. I confess I can't remember that conversation at all." She saw the tears in her eyes and frowned. It was unnerving for her to see such a austere and imposing woman so upset. "Please don't cry for us; we're safe now." She couldn't help tearing up as well, however; her nerves were still fragile.

The Queen shook her head at Integra's words, holding up her other hand while she attempted to compose herself behind the other. After a deep breath and shutting her eyes for a brief moment, she regained her composure and faced the couple. "Please, Integra, do not apologize; the situation was out of your hands and when you returned, you were beyond exhausted," She sighed, looking away when she saw Integra's eyes water. "I...I will not cry, do not worry. I will only smile, for two of my children have been returned to me alive. Thank the gods." The Queen gave a taut smile at this, her wings fluttering with emotion for her unsaid mention of Mircea. "May I sit with you both a moment?"

Alucard nodded tersely, refusing to meet his mother's eyes. She had only see her cry twice in his life; his father was far more emotional in that regard. To see his mother in such a vulnerable state made him uncomfortable. "You may. We were just having brunch," he replied in a curt tone, putting an arm around Integra's waist as well as his wing when he heard her voice tremble with tears. "What do you want?"

The Queen's eyes flickered with hurt at her son's guarded behavior, but said nothing of it. She took her seat across from the bed, folding her hands in her lap. "It is as I said; I came to see how you both were faring and to see if there was anything I could do to help. I know Dr. Trevelyan came by this morning for a check up, but I wanted to see you both for myself… and to deliver a bit of news."

"We have been better," Integra said wearily, looking at Alucard sternly at the way he treated his mother. "I suppose that is an understatement. I feel weak and dizzy; standing is difficult. Trying not to think is... difficult." She sighed shakily, reaching out her hand for the Queen to take. "What is your news?"

Alucard huffed quietly at Integra's admonishing glare, rubbing his thumb against her hip as he waited for his mother to speak. Now that he had more energy from eating and bathing, his nerves felt like they were on fire with another person in the room—even if that person was his mother, who he trusted deeply. The fear was manifesting itself in aggression and nervous twitches of his wings; he couldn't put the thought out of his head that his mother was going to suddenly do something horrible to himself or Integra, and it put him on edge. He watched the Queen carefully, his wing still tucked around Integra's shoulder.

The Queen took Integra's smaller hand gratefully in her larger one, smoothing her calloused thumb over Integra's knuckles as she met Integra's eyes with a sympathetic frown—and despite Integra’s usual comfort level with the woman, she couldn’t help but be nervous at the contact with anyone other than Alucard.. "My darling, I am so sorry. The weakness and dizziness, it will pass. Your strength will return soon with good food and rest, I am certain." She squeezed Integra's hand gently. "I wish I could recommend some help for clearing away unpleasant thoughts… Dr. Trevelyan's associate sometimes speaks with our younger soldiers after their first battle; perhaps that could be of use to you? Personally I don't understand the practice, but I have heard good things about it."

"Perhaps," Integra said encouragingly. She had no plans to speak to someone other than Alucard—or maybe Seras—about her experience, but she would remember it for Alucard's sake—he clearly had a lot of trauma in his past to discuss. “What is your news?”

The Queen’s expression brightened a little. "Ah, yes, the news! It should please you to know that Rhineland is on the defensive and struggling; with the death of their leader, many Rhinelanders have actually risen up to fight their own, taking a great deal of troops from their front against us to suppress them. It should not be long now before the war will be officially over, and Rhineland will be ours for the taking."

Integra’s smile widened for a moment. "That is excellent," she said, trying not to remember the way the Rhineland leader looked— _ the way his breath smelled and the way his hoof felt digging into her back and the way he _ —she took a deep breath, moving in to Alucard's embrace a bit more. "I am not surprised they are fighting their own; what a ghastly, cannibalistic kingdom. Who would want to support that way of life?" She focused on keeping her breathing regulated.

The Queen noticed Integra's nerves and, after rubbing her thumb over the princess's knuckles in silent apology, released her hand. "Yes, my dear. I had no doubts that we—Wallachia and Britannia—would triumph easily over those monsters." She smiled coldly at the thought, folding her hands in her lap once again.

"With any luck, we will capture the capitol within the week and the war will be over mere days after. And, hopefully in conquering them we may attempt to eliminate the...less seemly parts of their culture, yes? Along with whomever opposes us, of course."

"If anyone could eliminate the less seemly parts it would be you, Mother," Integra said confidently, relieved at the change of topic. 

The Queen inclined her head, smiling faintly. "I am pleased to have your vote of confidence, my dear." Her eyes flickered between the couple as if debating on telling them something else, and her expression fell, her eyes misting with tears again. She clutched her robes tightly, fighting to keep eye contact with her son and his wife. "I also wanted to inform you both that we… we will be holding Mircea and Sorina's funereal pyre in two days. Your father insisted that we wait for your return before… sending Mircea and his wife to the gods' care. Passing the title of crown prince to you, Alucard, and crown princess to you, Integra."

Alucard's body froze, and his hand blindly went to hold Integra's for support; she squeezed his hand tightly back. His wings trembled, and he nodded stiffly. "I see. I assumed you had already… already sent them on," he said in a stilted, controlled voice. He looked as if he was putting a visible effort not to react. "I'm glad you waited. I'd like to make my proper goodbyes."

"Thank you for waiting," Integra said, echoing Alucard's gratefulness. "I... I am deeply honored that you are accepting me as the crown princess."

"I am glad we waited for you both as well,” the Queen admitted. “I must admit, I was… fearful that I had lost four children in the span of two days, so when word came that the Captains Victoria and Bernadotte had rescued you, I..." She shook her head, placing a hand to her lips again.

Alucard's eyebrows knitted together and he laid a hand on his mother's knee, his fingers trembling on her knee and around Integra's hand.  "Mother..."

It was a long moment before the Queen regained her composure and smiled back up at Integra and Alucard, her blue eyes still teary. "I was very relieved. Of course we accept you as our crown princess, Integra; you fought alongside us as bravely as any Wallachian ever has. You would be surprised, I think, to hear how Wallachia's opinion of you has improved since word was spread that you spearheaded the attack on Rhineland with Alucard. I daresay that my husband and your grandmother's outlandish alliance has borne unexpected success." She stood, her deep blue wings giving a little flap as she pulled herself together. "Well, I have intruded on your resting time long enough, I believe. I can see you need your rest, my dears." She looked between the couple and squeezed her hands uncertainly, an odd expression on the regal-looking queen. "May I… give you both a kiss goodbye?"

Alucard's eyes softened at the request and he gave a small smile, bowing his head forward in acceptance. He stroked Integra's hand with his thumb, signalling his reassurance.

"We are a bit tired," Integra admitted, resting her head against Alucard's shoulder. “But of course you may.”

The Queen gave a teary smile and leaned in to kiss both her son and his wife's foreheads, leaving her lips there for a moment before drawing up to her full height; she still looked grieved but somehow less so, and held a warmth in her eyes that hadn't been there before. "Sleep well, my darlings. You've earned your rest," she said, heading to the door and opening it. Looking over her shoulder, she added; "Please, don't hesitate to call upon me if you have need of me, and don't worry over the goings-on of the war; I have everything settled. Sweet dreams." With a little nod of her head, the Queen swept from the room in a billow of black cloak and deep blue wings. 

Alucard sighed as his mother left the room and flopped back onto his bed, feeling as though all the tension had left his body at once. He shut his eyes and squeezed Integra's hand. "Gods, has talking to my mother always been so… exhausting?" he groaned, kicking off his towel as he looked up at Integra through his heavy eyelashes. "I feel like I could sleep for years."

Integra turned to look at Alucard, flopped down on the bed in a huff, and smiled at what a mess his hair was already in. "I don't think it's your mother," she said rationally, before lying down next to him and resting her head on his chest. "I think that's the exhaustion, my love. Thank you for being receptive to her; I know that was difficult for you. It wasn't easy for me, either." Truthfully, she felt much better now that they were alone.

Alucard put an arm around Integra's waist as she lay down beside him, tugging her gently closer against his side. He hummed with thought as he kissed the crown of her head; it hadn't felt like it was just the exhaustion that had stressed him out so badly, but perhaps he wasn't thinking straight because he was so tired. "You're probably right, as always," He acquiesced before nuzzling against her hair and inhaling deeply.

Her scent grounded him, and he immediately felt warm, relaxed—exhausted. He yawned, fumbling to grab a blanket to cover them both. "I'm sorry she put you on edge as well… we probably just need time to get back in the habit of talking with… well, people." Once he settled the blanket around them, he wrapped his wings around Integra in an extra embrace, making sure she would be warm and safe as she slept. 

Integra happily moved closer to him, wanting to be as close as she possibly could. His own scenes was earthy and comforting; she had missed it so much. Nothing put her at ease more than the smell and the feel of him. She didn't realize she was shivering in her nightgown until he wrapped them both in a fur blanket, then she snuggled under it happily. "It wasn't your fault," she said sleepily, "She's a lovely woman. We'll get there." Her wings happily slotted inside his, covering the space that his didn't. They were truly in their own little world, safe and warm.

"How are you feeling? Still sore?" he asked.

"I feel great," she murmured, shaking her head at his query about her soreness. "Gonna sleep... we can't for more than two hours..."

Alucard gently nuzzled her hair and began to purr even as his eyes drifted shut; it was almost subconscious in his attempt to soothe both Integra's and his own frayed nerves, as well as vocalize how utterly happy he was. With Integra in his arms, warm and safe in their bed, he thought there were few other things in life that could compare. "Good, I'm glad, I'm so happy you're great..." he mumbled sleepily, snuggling into their self-made cocoon of blankets and wings. He absently stroked Integra's outer feathers as he fell asleep, his eyes too tired to look around the room for intruders again. "Two hours… who said just two?" he asked senselessly before dropping off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Integra began to purr in reply to his, nuzzling against his body as she made herself completely comfortable. "Trev'yan," she mumbled, sinking into slumber even as she spoke. "Th' doctor..."

The both of them fell asleep soon after.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm so nervous," Seras admitted to Integra as she pulled on a few gold bangles, looking in the mirror to decide if she was satisfied with her appearance. She chuckled. "This feels like a weird deja-vu. Only it's reversed. I suppose I shouldn't be complaining, though; your wedding had much higher stakes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay!!!! enjoy!!!!!

When Integra woke up, she couldn't tell what time it was; it had to have been night, as there was almost no light in the room. "Alucard?" she murmured, turning to shake him awake. He was on his side, facing away from her. "We weren't supposed to sleep longer than two hours, remember? Dr. Trevelyan said..." Her voice trailed off when she realized that her husband was not waking up as she shook him. "Alucard?" she said again, shaking him a little harder. 

Then, a light switched on overhead and she whimpered automatically as she cringed in the sudden brightness, before realizing what frightened her so much was that light had constantly been the signifier of horrible things to come.  _ No, it can't be _ , thought Integra wildly, shaking Alucard again. If he could wake up, everything would be alright. But as she shook him, she rolled him onto his back. This allowed her to get a full view of the bloody wound in his heart. His eyes were open wide, dead to the world. Dead. "No!" she cried, clutching his shoulders. "Alucard, no! God! Please don't leave me, Alucard, please don't—" Her voice cut off when strong clawed hands grabbed her wrists and pulled her back to lie on the bed, where the metal cuffs around her neck and wrists clasped shut. No, this can't be happening, oh, God, I was safe, he was safe, we were safe—

"My poor, naive little dove," cooed a familiar voice, looming over her struggling body. "Did you expect us to give up, just like that? I expected more from you. You should have known better."

"No!" Integra called out, tears spilling out of her eyes. "No, please! Bring him back, please bring him back!"

The Major chuckled, coming into view as he stepped closer to the light. Integra's eyes nearly rolled back in terror as she looked on that frighteningly familiar visage again. "He's gone, little dove," he said happily, leaning in to take a hold of her nightgown and ripping it off her body. "But the fun isn't over yet, is it?"

Integra looked for words, but was unable to find them. As dozens of hands reached towards her, all she could do was scream, fighting against her restraints and praying for the mercy of death once more. It was just like before. She couldn't escape them, she could never escape.

 

* * *

 

In the real word, however, all she could do was writhe and whimper in Alucard's arms, fighting against his embrace.

Alucard's deep, blessedly dreamless sleep was interrupted by an elbow to the face—he startled awake with a frantic grunt, wings flared and ready for attack. "What's- Integra?" Weeks of being startled awake violently had honed him to regain consciousness in a split second and he sat up, worriedly looking down at his wife. Her whimpering broke his heart, and he gave her a quick shake, hoping to rouse her from whatever horrors her sleeping mind had concocted. "Integra! Integra, you're dreaming—wake up!"

"Get off me!" shouted Integra, eyes open and wild as she was suddenly pulled into consciousness. "No! Please! No!" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she fought against him. "Kill me too! Just kill me too!" Her mind was washed with panic and grief; she may have been awake, but she had no concept of her dream being just a dream.

Alucard grit his teeth with worry; Integra had regained consciousness, but she seemed trapped in the world her dream had created, blind to reality. "Integra, beloved, it's alright, it was just a dream!" he assured her, giving her another shake by the shoulders, careful to avoid grabbing her wrists and mimicking the manacles they had been trapped with. His hands shook violently on her skin; being awoken to Integra's whimpers of pain and grief had put him halfway back in the Rhinelander cell. "Shh, shh, sweetheart, love, it was a dream, you're safe—you're home, you're in our bedroom. Look—look at me," he soothed, moving his grip from her shoulders to her cheeks, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. Tears prickled at his own eyes as he tried to bring her back to reality.

"No, no, no!" Integra screamed, reaching out to slap at Alucard. 

Alucard flinched, but held her face steadily in his hands, trying his best to keep himself under control as his heart beat wildly in his chest. 

When Integra’s hands made contact with his face, she felt the familiar jawline covered with hair, and her screams began to quiet. "Alucard?" she said hoarsely, shaking her head as she tried to comprehend what she was seeing. "But... you were dead. And they were here. They were here in our bedroom."

Breathing hard as he kept her watery gaze, Alucard shook his head. "Integra, you were dreaming. It was just a dream. They're dead—Seras and Pip slaughtered them. Remember? I'm alright, I'm here with you. Listen." Gently, he brought one of her hands to his chest and held it there so she could hear his heartbeat, frantically paced as it was. He smoothed his other palm over her cheek, trying to soothe her. "We're home, and we're safe. They can't hurt us here, Integra."

"But... but they..." Integra began, before realizing exactly what had happened. His heart was beating, inside the perfectly un-wounded chest she so loved. It was a dream, it wasn't real. "Oh, Alucard!" she sobbed as her other hand went behind his neck to tug him closer. "Alucard, I thought... I saw you, in the dream, you were dead. I thought I failed you... oh, thank God, thank God..."

Alucard stifled a sob of his own. He sat up a little more and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his wings and arms tightly around her in a warm, dark cocoon of just the two of them. He pressed her ear to his chest, rocking them gently. "Shh, shh, my love, we're alright, we're okay, I'm here," He soothed, nuzzling her cheek and scratching gently at her feathers, a little frantic in his efforts to make his mate feel safe. He kissed the top of her head and rested his lips there, shutting his eyes against the tears that threatened to build. The idea that Integra thought she could ever fail him was heartbreaking. "I'm here. You'll never lose me, never fail me...I'm here."

Integra let out a shaky sound of relief, squeezing his hips between her legs and wrapping her arms around him. She listened to the sound of his heart beating hungrily, making small whimpering noises as he rocked her. "I know, I... you're here, I know." She heard the tremors in his voice and held him tighter. "I'm sorry for scaring you... I woke you up..."

Alucard nuzzled her hair; purrs began to rumble in his chest as he was desperate to console her in any way though his own mind was racing. He kissed her head again. "It's alright, I wouldn't have wanted you to suffer through the night. Not when I can help," he soothed, his hands subconsciously and clumsily grooming her wings to work out his nervous energy. Having Integra so close, hearing her heartbeat against his, was helping him slowly calm down. "Do you think you can go back to sleep? Or would you like to get up, have someone bring us some tea?"

Integra began to purr back, and she leaned up to kiss him before letting out a little sigh. "We need to wake up," she reminded him. "Two hours, remember?"

Her heartbeat had slowed to a steady, slightly faster rhythm than Alucard’s naturally slower one under his palm, and he was much relieved to hear it. "I don't remember the doctor saying that,” he said slowly, frowning in confusion.

"He said it not two hours ago," said Integra in amused exasperation. "And I thought that _ I _ wasn't listening." 

Alucard huffed, nuzzling into Integra's hand. "I had more important things on my mind—involving you and a hot bath. I’d like to sleep a little longer, but… I suppose we should get up. So we sleep through the night—hypothetically, of course." He nuzzled her cheek and leaned back to stretch his arms and wings over his head with a grunt. He went to rub his eyes and brushed over his beard, which had grown far past its usual length. "I need a shave..."

Integra chuckled. "You look… primitive," she admitted, leaning forward to put a hand on his beard. "Very rustic."

He purred with happiness as Integra began to run her fingers through his overgrown beard; the sensation was very soothing. "Hm, do I? Well, I'd hate to look like a common hunter...I do have to keep up some measure of nobility, you know." He scratched absently at Integra's feathers, smiling as he leaned in to kiss her. "Do you like the rustic type, Integra? Or do you prefer the clean-shaven princely type?"

Integra returned his smile as he kissed her, making the kiss sloppy but enjoyable. "I have no idea," she answered honestly. "Before I met you—well, even after I met you, for a while—all men were unappealing to me."

Alucard raised an eyebrow at her admission, smiling. "Is that so? Well, I can't blame you for thinking so; men can be real brutes. But their stamina for sex is usually higher, so there's that." He shrugged, beginning to groom his mate's wings. "What changed your mind about me, if I may ask? I'm curious."

"I don't recall," Integra admitted, squirming pleasurably at the feeling of her wings being groomed again. She reached out to reciprocate, her slender hands deftly smoothing his feathers into place. "I remember loathing you... you know my screaming at you when I was ill wasn't fake, right? I meant every word." She chuckled at the memory.

Alucard smiled, a happy warmth rising in his chest at the sight of how comfortable his mate was with grooming; she had come to Wallachia so ashamed, almost fearful at the mere sight of wings, and to see her embrace them was heartening. He spread his dark feathers to make it a little easier for her and continued to smooth down her silvery feathers that had fluffed up and out of place from falling asleep with damp wings. "Oh, I know it wasn't fake. I knew it then, too; it was what drew me to you in the first place. Even burning away with fever, you had such a power, such regality to you that spited death itself—I was honored then to be your husband," he told her, lifting the tip of a feather to kiss it.

Integra flushed with pleasure. She continued to groom his feathers into place, stopping to kiss them occasionally in response to his kiss. "Well. Yes, I loathed you. Until, I think... I think it might have been when you killed that nurse for me." She nodded as she thought. "It would have been an easy way to get rid of me, but you allowed me to live. That's when I first stopped loathing you completely."

Alucard chuckled, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of Integra's blush—for such a fearsome fighter and capable politician, Integra really could be the most adorable person he had ever seen. He couldn't help but kiss her briefly on the lips, grinning when he drew back to listen to what she had to say. His eyes softened at her words. "Well, once I had seen that spark in you, I couldn't bare let you go—certainly not from cowardly poisoning. And I'm immeasurably glad I didn't..."

He finished grooming her wings into place and lifted her hand to kiss the back of it, shutting his eyes. He cradled it to his cheek afterward, suddenly overcome with love for his wife. "Integra… I was so lonely until you came to me. My head was filled with nothing but war, my next battle, how I could fall on the field and no one aside from my family would mourn me. But you… I have you, Integra. Integra Tepes-Hellsing. My wife."

"Alucard," gasped Integra, overwhelmed with every word he spoke. Her hand burned pleasantly with his kiss. She couldn't stop herself from pulling away from his grip and jumping back into his arms as soon as he was done speaking, kissing him fiercely. Purring delightedly, Alucard responded with just as much passion, tonguing into her mouth to taste what was uniquely Integra. "I was miserable until you," she murmured breathlessly as she pulled back. "All I had was Seras. I was going to be married off no matter what I did; thank God, thank all the Gods that it was to you. Alucard Tepes-Hellsing. My husband."

Alucard held her face in his palms when they broke for air, smoothing his thumbs under her eyes. "Thank the gods..." he murmured, kissing her forehead as his purrs grew louder. "Thank the gods for you, Integra...I love you so much. So, so much..."

 

* * *

 

"Pip, this is foolish and cowardly!" insisted Seras, folding her arms and sticking her cute little nose into the air. "I refuse. I will not grovel for my right to wed you, like a slave. Not only will my own pride not allow it, but Sir Integra would never allow it."

Pip sighed wearily, scratching his horn after he pulled on his trousers. This wasn't the first time they had this conversation since they proposed to each other a week ago, covered in their own blood and that of their enemies as they slaughtered the last of the Rhineland opposition. He loved Seras's sense of pride, but... "Seras, my love, it's..." He trailed off with a defeated huff, shaking his head. "I'm not saying we have to grovel, we just have to ask...it's just a formality, he'll say yes! I'm under his direct employ, so it would be a huge slight not to ask him for permission. And you've probably gathered what happens to people who slight the royal family—they're a temperamental lot, even to their friends."

Seras growled, reaching for her dress and pulling it on, buttoning up the buttons before tying the ribbon around her waist in the back. She loved Pip, more than anything. She liked the Queen and King. She loved the food, clothing, fighting styles, and the way she was allowed to keep her wings out at all times. She got a thrill out of kissing in public. She was even growing to like the Wallachian soldiers Pip commanded. 

But she would never approve of how restricted and stifling Wallachia was towards everyone who wasn't the royal family. 

"Don't 'my love' me!" she snapped, turning to face him and resuming her folded-arms stance. "You let Alucard walk all over you. Everyone does. I don't care if he'll say yes; I hate the pretense! The very idea that he could have some sort of say in whether I can marry the love of my life! If he tries to impale me, he'll never  _ impale _ my lady ever again." She stepped into her shoes and opened the door to her room, not saying another word to Pip before making her way towards Alucard and her lady's chambers.

"Seras, it's just—" Pip began, but before he could ask her to lower her voice, Seras stormed out of the room. He groaned, dropping his head into his hands to rub at his horns. "...how things are with the royal family," he finished to himself before standing up to tuck his pants into his trousers with a put-upon expression. It wasn't the first time he worried about Seras saying the wrong thing about the royal family to the wrong person and getting herself in trouble—Sir Integra's protection was considerable, but it didn't stop Pip from waking up in a cold sweat about it. For all the individual freedom Wallachians were allotted, it was all null and void when it came to a conflict with royalty.

"Seras, wait up!" He tugged on his boots and headed out after his fiancee, taking her hand when he caught up to her. "Please, sweetheart, let's not be too hasty. It's just protocol—not to mention that if we piss him off, he could ban us both from marriage altogether." He pleaded before sighing again. "Let's just get this over with..." Pausing to steel himself, he knocked on the heavy door to Alucard and Integra's room. His palm was sweating in Seras's; as close as he and Alucard were, he had never taken kindly to being intruded upon in his room. 

Seras huffed. "Let him try and ban us," she said with steel in her tone. "Just let him." 

Meanwhile in their quarters, Integra was laughing so hard it hurt, trying to keep her aim steady as she tossed grapes towards her husband's gaping mouth. "Open wider!" she said breathlessly. "You're not giving me a good target!"

Alucard snorted with amusement as Integra tossed a grape at his cheek and then his nose, which both bounced off into his lap. "I am! You just have terrible aim!" he chuckled, leaning back further. It was hard to keep his mouth open when Integra kept making him laugh; he burst out laughing again when a grape hit him square in the eye. He quieted into giggles when he heard a knock on the door, squinting so the grape stayed under his brow. "Come in!" He called over his shoulder, still chuckling. 

Integra's laughter had only grown the more she missed. in the week since she and Alucard had been home and safe, they had suffered through many nights of nightmares together, feeling awful and overprotective of each other, desiring to block out the world. Their appetites increased and decreased at will, making eating regularly and well a challenge. But slowly they began to recover. Integra's wings began growing back their missing feathers, getting their sheen and sharper color back. Her hair also regained its sheen and softness, her eyes were slowly losing their dramatic dark circles. Her skin was smoother, her eyes didn't dart back and forth as much. She had stopped flinching at loud noises, most of the time. She had gained some of her weight back, her appetite staying strong. Altogether, she was on her way to making a full recovery. "Alucard!" she admonished with the grin still on her face and laughter still leaving her mouth, reaching for her shawl. "Don't just tell someone to come in before I cover my wings..." 

Alucard flopped onto his back, grinning and rolling over so his head rested on Integra's lap. "Sorry, I always forget you aren't an exhibitionist like us heathens." The week of rest been equally kind to the Wallachian prince; with the support of his mate, his health and behavior steadily improved. His massive wings that had grown dull and patchy regained their red-black shininess and dense feathers, his hair and beard trimmed, and his muscles and weight steadily increasing as his appetite improved and he was able to do more strenuous exercise. He was still somewhat overprotective over his mate and was reluctant to leave her side, but each day it was getting less physically painful to leave her presence—at the very least, he wasn't snarling at anyone who came close to her anymore.

"Good afternoon, my lady, my prince," Seras said, walking in and bowing in greeting. "Pip and I wanted to tell you that we got engaged at the end of our battle with Rhineland a week ago, as soon as we left you in the care of Dr. Trevelyan. We will be getting married soon." 

Integra's eyes widened in surprise, before her smile came back. "Oh, Seras, that's wonderful!" she said happily, dropping the shawl and hopping off the bed to hug her best friend.

Alucard sat up, the grape falling off of his eye but his smile still on his face—until Seras made her announcement. His eyebrows furrowed with confusion more than anger as he looked from Seras to Pip. "Engaged? To be married?" he repeated, sitting up straighter. He focused his slightly more admonishing gaze on Pip.

Pip swallowed nervously, his wings spreading submissively low as his fiancee embraced Integra. "Er… yes. Engaged to be married. Is that—" He broke off to clear his throat, trying to fortify himself against the intimidating presence of the prince. He didn't want to appear too guilty. "Is that acceptable to you, my lord?"

Alucard gave a considering hum, resting his chin on his hand as his smile slowly returned, catlike and superior. "You know you're meant to ask your lord's permission before getting engaged, Pip," he said, his tone worryingly neutral. He tilted his head as if considering prey, his eyes briefly flickering to Seras. 

Pip fidgeted during the long pause, and Integra and Seras both turned to glare at Alucard. Integra too was not a fan of the way the Wallachian royals were treated. 

Alucard ignored her glare. "But… seeing as I was indisposed… and you've caught me in a good mood… I'll allow it. I offer my congratulations to the both of you."

"May your wedding be happier than ours," Integra said jokingly, leaning in to kiss Seras's cheek. Normally she could never be so touchy and spend so much time with another person besides Alucard, but this was Seras—the one exception. 

"Thank you, my lady," said Seras, flashing a superior look at Pip.  _ See? I told you so. _

Alucard stood and clapped Pip on the back and Seras on the shoulder in excited congratulations. "Hopefully there won't be any biting tongues, or scratching, or threats of murder." The prince chuckled, putting an arm around Integra's waist. "Though I wonder if the Britannian-Wallachian union will go over better this time around… hm, I'll have to see about a security detail just in case.” 

Integra sighed; she couldn't stay mad at him, after all. Not after what had happened. "That is a wise idea," she agreed, frowning at the idea of anyone hurting Seras or Pip because of what was quickly becoming a stale grudge. 

"Thank you, my lord. Let's hope it will be peaceful," Pip said with a sigh, as he smiled at Seras's smug look. 

“When were you thinking of having the wedding? Before your next heat, I'd hope? You don't want any chickies out of wedlock running around!" Alucard nudged Pip in the ribs and swatted his chin with a wing, grinning. "I'll admit, I didn't think I'd ever see you get married—or mated, for that matter!"

Pip waved Alucard's feathers out of his face with a joking glare. "Well, we hadn't planned a set date for the wedding aside from 'soon', but most likely before our next heat, yes. Breeding heat coming up and what not, like you said." He looked to Seras for confirmation, completely nonplussed about talking casually with his prince about heat cycles.

Integra and Seras suddenly flushed darkly.

"Pip!" admonished Seras, glaring at him as she pulled him close. "I'm... I'm not discussing this!" She flushed further at the thought of her next heat with him.  _ A breeding heat... finally, I'll be able to have his children.  _

"Alucard!" Integra admonished, in the same tone of voice. "Don't bring that up, not... not like this!"  _ Oh, I forgot... the next heat is coming up... _ The idea of being in heat again did nothing but drag her back to those agonizing hours in her miserable cell, nearly fracturing her wrists in her effort to get to Alucard. She never wanted to feel like that again.

Pip blinked, eyebrows raised in surprise. He smiled and kissed the top of her head when she flushed, her cheeks turning that adorable shade of lavender; he loved it when she got flustered at something he said. He put a wing around her shoulder and held her close. "What? It was a perfectly innocent question! All I was wondering was if you wanted to have the wedding before or after our second heat together—which reminds me, we need to go over the plan for that too sometime soon too. If we're using contraceptives, whose room, supplies… you know, that sort of thing."

Seras shook her head, still flushing darkly. "I can't believe you," she said. "I... I want to have the wedding before! I don't want to wait! So we can consolidate into one room for our heat, ok? And... and I don't want to use contraceptives..." She turned away from him in tremendous embarrassment. 

A lopsided, lovestruck grin spread across Pip's face at Seras's admission. "Seras..." he began, deeply touched. He kissed her head, nuzzling into her soft blonde hair. "If you feel that way, maybe we should look into a bigger room!" he kissed her head once more and looked up, smiling almost drunkenly with joy. "So you heard the lady: the wedding will be sometime before our next heat, so not long now! We'll have to make the arrangements fast, since it's just me, Seras, and Grandpapa to get it all together."

"We're all friends here, what's the problem?" Alucard grinned down at his wife, admiring how beautiful and healthy she looked with so much flush in her cheeks. She had looked so ashen for so long, and to see colour in her face cheered him. He nuzzled her head, oblivious to her internal struggle. "It's only a fact of nature. Heats happen, and fledgelings come from successful heats. It's nothing to be ashamed of." The fear that stemmed from the forced heats he had suffered in captivity was only slightly outweighed by the desire to have Integra bear their children—the most beautiful and talented children either kingdom had ever seen, he was certain. But the horror of the forced heats were very much present in his mind, garnering a fair bit of anxiety that he pressed down until he could be with Integra in private.

"Stop, stop!" said Integra, both in embarrassment and dread from Alucard's words. She smacked his arm, covering her face with the other hand. She had not brought up the subject previously, but she had been making plans to send for heat suppressants from Britannia. She was dreading the moment when she would have to tell him, but she felt as though she couldn't possibly allow herself to feel so in pain, so desperate and longing and shameful, ever again.

Alucard conceded to Integra's plea and gave an apologetic stroke to her wing. Although the tone was still light, it was clear to him that Integra was genuinely upset. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry." He rubbed her waist soothingly and forced a smile for Pip and Seras. "Don't worry about arrangements for the wedding; I'll cover everything. Not personally, of course, but you shouldn't have to worry about a wedding and a breeding heat at the same time. Consider it part one of my wedding gift to you both."

Seras couldn't help but gasp with joy. "Oh, thank you, my prince!" she squealed, hugging Pip even tighter. She was too enthused about the wedding to be in tune with her lady's distress. "Thank you so much, you're far too kind!" All animosity towards Alucard was forgotten. 

Integra forced a smile, the soothing touches to her wing and waist not doing anything to assuage the anxiety she was feeling. "Of course, Seras," she said. "It's the least we could do."

Pip blinked in shock before his grin spread impossibly wider and he hugged his fiancee back just as tightly. "Y-yeah—I mean, yes! Thank you so much, my lord, my lady! You've taken a load off our minds, truly. But uh… while you're being so generous, perhaps a few extra chambers...?" He began, his grin turning a little sheepish.

Alucard ruffled Seras's hair fondly before raising an eyebrow at the suggestion. However, he broke off with a huff and a shrug, smiling. He was still in a good mood from earlier, and the idea that he and Integra would need to expand their chambers for their own little fledgelings made his heart flip with excitement. "Ah, what the hell; there's plenty of empty rooms in the castle. That'll be part two of your wedding gift from us, I suppose. Anything else to add, Integra?"

"Oh, thank you so much!" said Seras, putting her tiny hand on Alucard's massive one and squeezing it slightly.. She knew that her Wallachian husband would give her a lot of children, and desired to give them a good amount of space to run around in. 

Meanwhile, Integra was still plastering the smile onto her face. "Oh, I don't want to spoil the surprise right now," she said to Alucard. She had plans to install a similar bath to the one she and Alucard shared in Pip and Seras's new quarters. The idea of how pleased Seras would look was enough to distract her from the idea of having to tell Alucard she couldn't bear his children for the moment, and her smile became more genuine. "But you'll love it; I can promise you that."

Alucard chuckled, giving Seras's hand a returning squeeze. "You're welcome. It's been a long time since there's been little ones in the castle, especially in the nobles' quarter; they need space to stretch their wings. We might actually need to remodel a bit… hm. I'll talk to my parents on the matter, see if there aren't any child-friendly suites already that I don't know about." He smiled at the engaged couple before kissing Integra's head. "Judging by that smile, I think Integra has quite the present in store for you. Something kid-friendly, I hope?" he joked, nudging his wife gently with a wink.

Pip snorted, shaking his head. "Somehow I doubt Princess Integra has your dirty mind, milord. She's a proper Britannian lady, after all." He chuckled, hugging Seras to his side. "Anyway, thank you again for… well, everything. You'll be the first to know when we decide on a set date for the wedding." He bowed, his wings fluttering with happiness and excitement and his lopsided grin still on his face. "We should be heading down talk with some new recruits—I need to tell old Grandpa Bernadotte the good news, too, so he can stop griping about 'wasting money on a ridiculous, foolish marriage to a Britannian', as he is wont to do." He rolled his eye, sighing. "Nasty old codger."

Seras's wings were fluttering too, gently pressing against Pip's every once in a while, like a butterfly kiss. "Yes, thank you so much, to the both of you. We should go, we should definitely go talk to the new recruits." She rolled her eyes too at the mention of her future father-in-law. "That old bastard better accept me now," she murmured.

"Well, congratulations once again," said Integra, for the first time not wanting to be left alone with Alucard. "I... I'm so happy for both of you. Marriage has been one of the best changes in my life, and I know that both of you will be truly happy together." 

Alucard smiled down at Integra's remark about marriage, bending to nuzzle her cheek adoringly.

Seras's eyes misted as she spoke. "Thank you, my lady," she said, lunging forward again and hugging Integra around the waist.

Pip bowed his head low again, specifically to Integra. "Yes, thank you, Princess. I hope I'll be able to repay your kindness someday," he said before placing a hand on Seras's shoulder. He was eager to be alone with his fiancee and show her just how happy he was at how well today had gone. "Seras, love? We should be on our way now. I think our dear prince and princess have some things to discuss." He winked at the monarchs as he opened the door, pausing to bow his head again in thanks. "It, er, bears repeating; thank you, my lady, my lord. We really appreciate what you've done for us."

Alucard nodded. "As Integra said; if you're anything like us, you'll have a very happy and fulfilling marriage...and you have my congratulations and my blessing for your engagement." He chuckled, rubbing his thumb along Integra's hip again. "Make sure to weed out the weaker recruits, hm? We need more soldiers of your fiance's caliber, Pip."

Seras ripped herself away from Integra and going back to take Pip's hand and squeeze it. "Thank you so much, both of you," she seconded, smiling at them. "We really can't thank you enough." 

"Of course; you deserve it," said Integra with a smile. She turned back to Alucard and kissed his cheek as the two of them left the room. "I'm so happy for them."

Alucard hummed in agreement and kissed Integra's lips, nuzzling against her cheek afterward. "Me too...I have to say, I was wondering when they would come to ask us permission. I was sure it was coming any day now; they've been thick as thieves since the week after you two arrived in Wallachia."

"Alucard, you know that I find it to be completely ridiculous, the idea that they'd need to ask permission from either of us to get married," said Integra, glaring up at him mildly.

"I know you do, but what can I say? In Wallachia, royalty is royalty. Our word is law, literally." Alucard reminded her with a grin, looking rather smug with himself at Integra's glare. 

Integra rolled her eyes. "You’re insufferable. But yes, they've been closer for longer than we have; of course they'd want to get married." 

The Prince chuckled, resting his chin on Integra's head as he stroked her hip. "With the two of them being as accomplished as they are, I wouldn't be surprised if their children grew up to be best warriors of their era… after ours, of course."

Integra’s face paled. "...Yes, of course," she said, gently wriggling out of his grip. "I think I'm going to go to the library for a while."

Alucard’s smile dropped and his wings lowered a fraction. "Oh. Alright." He frowned. "Integra, is there… something the matter?"

Integra sighed, putting another small fake smile onto her face. "No, there's nothing wrong. I just want to continue a particularly interesting book I was reading. Maybe get some fresh air. Not that I haven't been enjoying being cooped up with you, but it will be a nice change." She went to grab her shawl again, tying it around her wings in preparation for leaving their chambers.

Alucard's eyebrows furrowed, easily seeing through Integra's unconvincing smile after spending so much time in close quarters together. He automatically went to help Integra tie her shawl fully over her wings, but his expression was still a bit frustrated. He never could stand dishonesty, particularly from one so honest as Integra. He finished adjusting her shawl and went to face Integra fully. "That's fine. But I wish you wouldn't run off instead of telling me what's bothering you; I know you better than that, Integra. Something about our conversation with Pip and Seras worried you—what was it?"

Integra moved towards the door before stopping, her shoulders tensing up as Alucard called her bluff. She sighed, avoiding his eyes. "I... I have something that I've been wanting to tell you for a while," she admitted. What if he flew in a rage at her when she told him, as the woman who was denying his kingly right to bear him children?

Alucard's heart dropped into his stomach. Was she ill again? Dying? Seeing him reminded her too much of her trauma, that she couldn't bare to be with him any longer? She was going back to Britannia? His mind whirred with worse-case scenarios. "What—what is it? Are you alright?" Alucard asked, his voice hoarse with worry.

Integra shook her head, before taking a deep breath and looking up at him. "I can't do it," she said flatly. "I can't experience... I'm going to send for suppressants from Britannia. I can't feel that way I did, ever again. So... so helpless, and base, and shameful. And the pain..." She trailed off and shivered. "I can't have your children. I... I'm sorry. You said I wouldn't fail you, but I've truly failed as your wife." She winced, waiting for his anger.

Of all the things Integra could've said, Alucard hadn't expected that. His shock left him speechless for a moment, simply staring back at his wife as he tried to make sense of the situation, to react with something other than selfish hurt. Her fears were perfectly valid, and it wasn't as if he would ever force her to do anything against her will. He had his own reservations about going through his next heat after so many excruciating forced heats, but—

"Integra, I..." He trailed off, clenching his jaw as he looked for words. "You know that we have..." Again he broke off before beginning again, trying to keep the pleading tone out of his voice. "Integra, you remember our first heat together, how heats are meant to be spent. There was no pain then, was there? It was just the two of us and no one else, loving each other, feeling pleasure together. Wasn't it?" he asked, meeting Integra's eyes again and searching them. "You know I'd never let you suffer through another unsuccessful heat—we'd be together this time, with nothing stopping us."

"I... I don't even remember what our first heat together was like," said Integra miserably, turning away from him and crossing her arms over her chest protectively. "I just remember those... god, how many times did they make us go through that? And... and every time I would always expect you to come help me, but of course you couldn't, so I just... I wanted anything, Alucard; anything! I even... I smelled everyone in the room and I wanted them. It was so much worse than Radu. I... I still want to vomit, thinking about it. Whenever I try to think about being in heat with you, I just think of _ them _ ."

Alucard's face fell with dejection. "I… I know." He nodded numbly, ducking his head. His skin crawled with the memory of how badly he had lusted after even the most disgusting beastmen in the room, groaned for anyone to end the pain. He took in a shaking breath, shutting his eyes as he tried to shove the poisonous thoughts away. "But Integra, we shouldn't...we can't let them win against us by trying to taint this time for us—a time just for us—even from beyond their filthy graves. I just can't stand the thought of them being the reason that keeps us apart in any way, stops us from being happy together." He put a hand against her cheek, trying to meet her eyes. "They don't deserve to hold that place in our minds, do they?"

Integra nodded at his words, a flash of anger going through her at the thought of the beastmen mocking her, even from death. "We can't let that happen," she admitted. "But... Alucard. What if I ruin it for both of us, all by myself? By panicking during it, or something?"

Alucard’s eyebrows knitted with concern, and he kissed her gently in reassurance. "Then we stop, we calm down, and we try again—or if it's too much, you can take your suppressants and we can see how we feel next year. But I'll be with you the entire time… nothing in this world or the next can keep me from you if you decide you want to do this with me," he finished in a low, serious tone, leaning his forehead to hers.

Integra nodded, closing her eyes briefly as he kissed her before opening them to stare seriously up at him. He made good points; she could always take her suppressants halfway through. And... and she couldn't really see anything keeping him from her this time around.

His breathing became slightly harsh with emotion, and his wings subconsciously rose in a low arc—seduction. "I'll go slow, fast, gentle, hard, however you want me...anything you want, anything to make you know I'm there with you. Only me with you."

Her pupils dilated as he began telling her all the ways he could take her, and her wings curled in at the tips demurely—showing a coquettish desire to be seduced. "That sounds nice," Integra admitted slowly, practically inhaling his breath and exhaling in hot huffs.

Alucard's eyes flickered to the curve of her wingtips and back to Integra's face, his own eyes dark with lust at the thought of finally, finally being able to spend another heat with his beloved mate. His feathers fluffed up and spread in response to her arousal as he drew slightly closer, his chest brushing hers. "It will be more than nice," he purred, tipping her chin up to meet his lips as he bent down to kiss her. "I'll make it so you never think of those memories again—just me. Just you and I, sharing our second heat together," he murmured against her lips, his voice only a fraction higher than a growl, "our breeding heat."

Integra let out a low aroused moan into the kiss as her chest touched his. She shivered as his voice lowered significantly, and at his mention of breeding. Without another word, she jumped into his arms and kissed him fiercely, tugging at his thick black hair. 

 

* * *

 

"I'm so nervous," Seras admitted to Integra as she pulled on a few gold bangles, looking in the mirror to decide if she was satisfied with her appearance. She chuckled. "This feels like a weird deja-vu. Only it's reversed. I suppose I shouldn't be complaining, though; your wedding had much higher stakes." 

"True," admitted Integra, watching her best friend fondly. "But that doesn't take away your right to be nervous. That being said, you look beautiful and the ceremony is going to go off without a hitch. Then, we can all get wasted."

Seras snorted. "True..."

Pip was pacing back and forth in the dressing room, smoking like a chimney. "What if she suddenly decides she doesn't like that I have one eye and a broken horn? What if one of my exes shows up? Or more than one?" he worried, fidgeting nervously with his white tunic and high collar as he tread a track into the fur carpet. "What if the Britannians show up and burn the whole temple down?"

"Pip, you must know how ridiculous you sound right now." Alucard said, watching his friend and attendant fret with amusement. "The worst that's going to happen is your grandfather might shout a few racial slurs. Besides, it's not like you're getting married to someone you hate." He grabbed Pip's wing as he passed and tugged him over to quickly brush the feathers back into place.

"That's true… gods, I'm nervous. I wasn't even this nervous at my first battle!" Pip moaned, rubbing at his good eye. His head jerked up at the sound of music playing in the hall, his eyes wide with panic and excitement. "Gods, I'm getting married! To Seras Victoria!"

Alucard shook his head with a fond chuckle. "Come on, worry wart. Let's get you married."

As she heard the music, Seras squealed and ran to Integra, clasping her hand. "I can't do this! I can't... what if he gets tired of me and wants a proper Wallachian mate instead?"

"Don't be ridiculous," said Integra with an eye roll. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to him."

Seras nodded with a straight face. "That's true," she conceded. "But what if—"

"Come on," said Integra, squeezing her hand and pulling her out of the room. "It's time to get you married." 

By the time they entered the temple, Seras had calmed herself down and was looking demure and beautiful as she and Integra walked down the aisle. She may have been shorter than almost everyone in the room, but she was shining in her crimson dress. As soon as she saw Pip, she broke out into a smile and had to resist the urge to run at him and tackle him into a hug. God, she loved him. How could she have ever thought that this was a bad idea?

Pip stood at the altar, his wingtips flicking anxiously as the music swelled—but all his fears seemed to fall away at once when Seras appeared at the end of the hall, the most beautiful sight he had ever had the honor of looking upon; the rest of the room went out of focus save for Seras approaching him, smiling that angelic, dimpled smile when she met his gaze. He had to blink furiously to keep his eye from welling with overjoyed tears, and he grinned in return once he recovered from his awe. How could someone like him, a warmongering footsoldier, end up so lucky as to even meet such an incredible woman, much less marry her? His arms itched with the urge to hold her and kiss her senseless, even if they were in a sacred temple, not to touch until they were bidden by the priestess.

His grin widened when she took her place across from him. "Hey," he choked out in a whisper, unable to say anything more for fear he would burst into tears. He wasn't an emotional man, but gods if Seras didn't bring it out of him. His hands shook with the effort it took not to reach out to her.

Seras's wings fluttered happily. Pip’s lopsided grin was there to meet her, and she almost forgot the Wallachian custom of not being able to touch until bidden that Pip had reminded her of so many times, so desperate was she to hold him. "Hello," she said softly, eyes shining up at him. "You look nice."

Grinning ever wider, Pip's wings quivered with elation as he stared down into his wife-to-be's shining blue eyes, almost completely tuning out the music to admire Seras's beauty. "You look incredible," he whispered back, trying to suppress the happy purr that threatened to escape his throat. "So beautiful."

Alucard chuckled, smiling at the couple as he took his place to the side opposite Integra and a couple of Pip's higher-ranking troops from his squadron. The music concluded with the priestess lifting her hand for silence, and she began her speech: "We gather here under the eyes of the gods to wed Captain Phillippe Bernadotte of Wallachia to Captain Seras Victoria of Britannia..."

Integra smiled slightly at her husband. It felt so nice to be at a wedding that wasn't filling her with dread. It was certainly Pip and Seras's wedding, but it felt like this was her and Alucard's second chance.

Alucard's eyes softened as they met Integra's; it felt like almost yesterday that the two of them stood before a priestess to be married, hating each other on the basis of nothing other than their races and kingdoms. So much had changed since then—where he would've once done anything to crush every Britannian in his path, he now lived for the love of their crowned princess. Being at the altar again made him feel as if they were being married again, but this time they were marrying for love, not politics. He returned Integra's smile, holding her gaze as the priestess read the marriage rites.

"And do you, Captain Phillippe Bernadotte, take Captain Seras Victoria as your wife in law and before the gods?"

Pip nodded, a tear of sheer joy slipping down his cheek. He dashed it away with the back of his hand, chuckling weakly. "I do."

Alucard's wings fluttered once, and he mouthed the same words to Integra from across the altar.

"And do you, Captain Seras Victoria, take Captain Phillippe Bernadotte as your husband in law and before the gods?" 

"I do!" Seras said loudly, making several Wallachians in the audience laugh kindly. She flushed slightly, but didn't take her eyes off her... her  _ husband _ .

Integra felt her heart beat faster as Alucard gazed at her. She mouthed the same words in reply to him, swelling with emotion and love as she looked at her husband, the most important man in her life. 

The priestess smiled at both of the captains. "Then I declare the two of you legally married. You may now sanctify your marriage in this holy place."

"Oh, Pip," sighed Seras blissfully, standing on her tiptoes and dragging him down by his shoulders for a deep kiss.

"My Seras," Pip whispered breathlessly, wrapping his arms around Seras; he purred into the deep kiss his new wife had dragged him into before lifting her by her waist so as kiss her even more passionately, breaking for air only to shower her face with even more kisses and nuzzles. "My sweet, sweet Seras Victoria-Bernadotte!" he laughed, hugging her tightly before setting her down and raising their joined hands above their heads, their identical gold bands catching the light from the stain-glass windows.

Seras squealed as he picked her up before responding happily to the even more passionate kiss, tugging at his braid before he set her down. She grinned at everyone attending her wedding as she stood with him, so proud of and pleased with the man she married. She couldn't wait till their wedding night, where she could show him just how pleased she was.

The crowd clapped, cheered, and wolf-whistled; even Pip's grandfather gave a grunt and a smattering of applause. Alucard winked at Integra as he gestured for the newlyweds to proceed down the aisle. He bowed his head in congratulations to the new couple.

"How does it feel to be married?" Integra asked the happy couple, having to raise her voice over the crowd. 

"Wonderful," Seras said, equally as loudly. "I've never been so excited to dance in my entire life!"

Pip laughed, squeezing Seras's hand in his. He had never been so happy, so lucky in his entire life. "Amazing, yeah, really amazing," he agreed, still a little breathless with disbelief that he was married to Seras now, his incredible, beautiful mate. "I can't wait for the reception banquet!" He clumsily kissed Seras's cheek and gave another short laugh of excitement, tears in his eyes. "And I really can't wait to dance with you, Captain Victoria-Bernadotte!"

"Stop crying," admonished Seras playfully, shoving his arm with her shoulder. "You big crybaby. I don't want any tears on my wedding day." At the reminder that it was her wedding day, she sniffled herself.

"I can't help it, I'm too—" Pip scrubbed at his eyes with his sleeve, still laughing, "I just got something in my eye, that's all! Some dust, or—or a flower petal!" he chuckled, sniffling as he hugged Seras to his side and kissed the top of her head. He couldn't stop showering his new wife with affection, though that was nothing new from when they were engaged, or even just dating. A couple of his and Seras's soldiers from their troupe came over to give their congratulations, ruffling the little Britannian woman's hair and squeezing two of them in hugs.

As tiny as she was, Seras was just as strong, and hugged many of them back with equal force. She was smiling so hard it hurt her face. 

Pip laughed aloud when Seras squeezed one of the soldiers back with enough force to make him wheeze and swooped Seras up into a bridal carry, nuzzling his nose against hers. "To the reception, my love? We wouldn't want to be late to our own celebration."

Seras squealed once more, placing a hand on his face and squeezing his cheek affectionately. "To the reception," she said grandly, before smiling a mischievous smile. "I'm going to get you positively drunk, Pip Victoria-Bernadotte." 

Alucard chuckled, taking Integra's hand and putting a wing around her shoulders as they followed the couple out. "I'm glad you get to experience a real Wallachian wedding this time," he told her over the noise of the crowd, "Since we didn't exactly have the time of our lives last time. I'm going to make sure you enjoy this one as if it was our own."

Integra sighed, squeezing Alucard's hand. "It is a lot nicer than I remember it," she said loudly. "But I hope you realize that I'm not dancing with you. Or dancing at all, actually."

Alucard raised an eyebrow at his wife's dismissal, chuckling. "Oh, no? But you're such a graceful fighter, I'm sure you dance well too." He nuzzled her hair, lowering his head to nibble lightly on her ear; his wing rose to cover the action from view, knowing Integra wouldn't appreciate him being so publicly flirtatious. "Just one dance with me, my love? Wallachian dances are so much more fun than Britannian waltzes...so much more intimate and heated. I think you'll like them if you'd give them a try."

Integra gasped; even though he was blocking them from view of course it was obvious why, and she still got a rush from public displays of affection. "I... I wouldn't know," she lied, thinking back to all the dance lessons she was forced to attend in her youth in Britannia. "I... I could never be so intimate with you in public..."

Alucard gave a questioning hum, tilting his head to kiss at the sensitive space behind where her jaw met her ear. "Oh? No one would be watching us, Integra. All eyes will be on the bride and groom...we have the perfect cover," he purred, kissing down to the edge of her high-collared dress as he brushed her hair from her cheek. "So… how about it, Integra? Just one dance with your husband?"

Integra bit her lip to stop herself from moaning. "Ugh... fine. But only one, mind you. And I'm getting drunk first."

The wedding reception was, in true Wallachian fashion, one hell of a party. There were tables full of rich foods, a band playing fast-paced music, dancing, and plenty of alcohol to spare in the grand ballroom. After five non-stop dances with his new wife, Pip was getting back his breath at one of the tables with a mug of spiced ale and his arm around Seras's shoulders, drunk on love and the two glasses of wine he had already thrown back. "Whaddya think, Cap'n Victoria-Bernadotte? Feelin' any different now you're a married lady?" he asked, nuzzling his nose against hers before flopping his head onto her shoulder.

Seras herself was only somewhat tipsy, already drunk on her own happiness. She giggled, lifting her hair up to get the sweat off her neck as she kissed him on the cheek. "Oh, I feel tied down," she groused playfully. "My life as a carefree maiden is over, my days as a playboy are gone. So sad. Now all I have is you." 

Pip chuckled, leaning over to kiss along Seras's throat, drunkenly thinking she had lifted her hair away as an invitation. Her warm skin was like a drug to him, and he couldn't help nuzzling close. "That's right! Now you're stuck with me for years and years and years...too bad for everyone else, 'cause I have the best wife in the whole big world..." he purred, nibbling on her neck, as his wings flared to hug her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. "All I have is you an' that's all I need...I mean...'cept I have Gran'papa, but he doesn't count...maybe a couple lil' guys in a lil' bit..."

"Pip Bernadotte!" gasped Seras, giggling as he kissed her neck. "Have some self-control! How I'll manage to survive the years with you without being eaten alive, I'll never know!" She reached up to grab his horn and shake it affectionately. "Let's not talk about your grandfather right now. We can certainly talk about babies, though." She waggled her eyebrows at him, running her hand down to rest on his cool chest. 

"Pip Victoria-Bernadotte, please and thank you very much," Pip chuckled, grinning languidly as she shook him by the horn. "And self-control is for suckers." He rested his flushed cheek on her shoulder and reached around to stroke her stomach, lazily trailing his fingers up and down. "Mmhmm, babies...our babies. I'm looking forward to those...really looking forward to making 'em, too. With my beautiful, perfect, strong wife from Britannia who could bench-press me." He leered up at her from her shoulder in return to her suggestive eyebrow wiggle. "Really, really looking forward to that."

"Mmm, me too," agreed Seras, her voice somewhat throaty as she took his hand and moved it up to gently rest on one of her breasts. "Of course I could bench-press you. Don't you forget it." She kissed him. "You won't have to wait for much longer. How many weeks now, until...?" She trailed off, unwilling to actually mention their breeding heat in public, even at their wedding. 

Pip took in a shallow breath of arousal as Seras moved his hand over her breast. He recovered quickly and gave a low chuckle, nuzzling against her neck and raising a wing to hide them halfway from view as he massaged her chest. 

Seras inhaled sharply as Pip began to massage her breast, biting her lip to keep the noises she made as little whimpers instead of moans. She was flushing purple; just because she was much more accustomed to Wallachian culture than Integra was, didn't mean she wasn't still embarrassed about public displays of affection.

"Mmh, shouldn't be long now… my heat is coming up in about a week and a half. During our honeymoon," Pip murmured against her shoulder, mouthing along her throat amorously. No one around them seemed to bat an eyelash; such romantic displays were commonplace at Wallachian weddings. They were seen as a time to shower love upon one's partner, after all. He lowered his voice and spoke into Seras's ear; "And I know for a fact Alucard's is coming up a week after mine, so… you could be having the lil' ones the same time as Integra next year, huh? That's so cute..."

"A week and a half, huh?" Seras sighed, gently rubbing his horn with her hand. "Lots of little ones... very cute. I want ours to have your hair."

Purring lowly, Pip kissed a trail back up her neck to her jaw and continued to paw at her chest, eye shut and cheeks flushed with desire. "Mmhm, yeah. Not long now, love." He pushed his head further into her hand in a silent question for scratches at the base of his horns before he gave a little trill of questioning, opening his eye to stare up at his wife. "My hair? But it's so plain compared to yours. Your hair is like..." He scrunched up his nose as he wracked his alcohol-addled mind to make a comparison. "Butter. And sunshine. And you. So I hope they have your hair...and your nose. I love your nose...'s adorable," he concluded, resting his head on her shoulder with a happy, sleepy sigh.

"Mmmph, Pip," moaned Seras, eyes fogging over as she obliged and scratched the base of his horns. "What?" she said, distracted from her arousal. "Pip, don't be silly! Your hair is so beautiful! I want them to have red hair down to their feet. And your eyes. They can have my nose, though.." She trailed off and echoed his sigh, resting her head against his. 

Pip groaned quietly as Seras scratched his horns, practically turning into a puddle at her touch and slouching against her, halfway in her lap. He blinked lazily up at her before a grin spread across his lips, flattered. "Well, then I hope they have your wings...lil' canary yellow wings, all fluffy and tiny and soft...mmh, I can't wait to see 'em..." he mused, nuzzling his scruffy cheek against hers. His eye was drooping shut as he leaned more heavily against his wife. "Not that this party isn't great, but 'm exhausted..."

Seras giggled, buckling under the weight of her husband. "I should say so! Let's get you to bed, you big baby." 

Meanwhile, Alucard brought Integra a glass of champagne and sat down beside her, grinning slyly as he sipped at his own goblet of wine. "Dare I ask if you're feeling sufficiently drunk to dance with me yet?" he asked, his eyes heavy-lidded as he looked over his mate appreciatively. "Or should I go get you another flute of champy?"

Integra took the glass of champagne Alucard offered—her fourth—and downed it. She set the glass down on the table she was sitting at with a loud clunk, turning to look at him hungrily. "We can dance," she said, sounding as if there was something else she'd much rather be doing. "Come on." She stood, grabbing his arm and pulling him to the dance floor.

Alucard’s toothy grin only widened, his wings flaring with arousal. "I'm looking forward to this," he mused, taking a swig from his goblet before setting it down and allowing himself to be led to the dance floor. "Put one of your hands in mine, one on my elbow… follow my lead until you feel you get the hang of it," he instructed as his wings rose then tucked against his back. 

"Mmmkay," said Integra, determinedly not looking straight at him as she followed his advice, her wings tucking behind her back as well. 

The music began again, a quick-paced beat with a guitar, cello, and violin. Alucard leaned in to whisper into Integra's ear, "Ah, this is a good one. Hang tight to me."

Integra leaned in, almost leaning on him, and frowned. "Don't tell me what t' do," she grumbled, before doing exactly what he suggested. "I can dance jus' fine."

Alucard huffed out an amused laugh. "Alright, I'll leave the rest to your instincts, then." He replied, giving her hand a light squeeze before beginning to dance; luckily for Integra, it involved a lot of lifting by the bigger partner and following each other's motions through simple gravity, wings flaring to accentuate the movement as the beat stopped and started suddenly. "Having fun?" He asked her during a lift, grinning excitedly.

A smile crept onto Integra’s fact the more they danced, and she began to leap into the lifts, fluttering her wings to keep herself up longer. Really, she was very graceful; despite this dancing being dramatically different from the Britannian style, it still required similar dexterity and lightness of feet. She managed to keep up with the steps while never taking her eyes off Alucard.

He grinned widely as Integra began to find her rhythm in the dance, keeping up with him easily despite not knowing the steps by heart. "Your grace is unparalleled, my darling," he told her as the dance brought them chest to chest, stepping quickly back and forth, "I thought you said you didn't dance."

"I may've... had a few dance less'ns in Britannia," admitted Integra. 

The music snapped to a close, and Alucard dipped Integra with a proud look on his face. She let out a peal of panicked laughter as she was dipped, smacking him on the chest as he stood her back up. "A bit of warning next time!" Her cheeks were flushed with joy and the champagne.

Alucard's cheeks flushed with delight and he lifted her back up to his chest, chuckling as he butted his forehead gently against hers. "Sorry, sorry. I forgot you didn't know how it finished," he apologized airily. His arms stayed around her waist as the band began to play again. "Another dance, or more drinks?"

Integra huffed, wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling back. "It was fun," she admitted softly, looking up as the music changed. "We can... we can do another dance."

Alucard laughed, his body feeling light as a feather and full of energy. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her closer as the music began to wind up for another dance; less fast-paced and more continuous than the previous song's staccato beat. "Another? I'd be delighted."


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Integra, sweetheart, are you feeling alright? I went to undo your wings and all these fluff—" He broke off, looking back at the handful of down feathers in his hand. Winged ones only molted if they were badly ill, or...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MY APOLOGIES FOR THE DELAY
> 
> Real life has been kicking my ass, so it became impossible to publish last week. Enjoy an exciting, smutty, and story-changing chapter!

Two weeks later, Pip and Seras were in the middle of their heat, which was taking place in their brand-new and well-refurbished quarters. Seras had squealed with delight when Integra showed her their new bath. Judging from the sounds of splashing that often sounded, the newly married couple were getting quite the use out of it. 

Meanwhile, Integra's heat was slowly approaching, and her nerves were at their peak. She kept taking out the suppressants she had obtained from Britannia and staring at them, debating whether or not she should just pop them into her mouth and end the nightmare before it even began. But it wouldn't be fair to Alucard, and she knew in her heart of hearts that avoiding the problem would only make it worse. That didn't stop her from being terrified. Every morning she woke up and carefully checked for an ache in her body, inhaling the air in fear of smelling that scent again. Every time she negated the worry, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. But she couldn't avoid it forever.

Alucard's anxiety rose with his wife's as the date of his heat drew closer. After she had expressed her fears to him, the trepidation surrounding his heat seemed to intensify; if she didn't go into heat with him, would he have to suffer through it alone again? He wouldn't lower himself to rent a temporary partner for the week, but he didn't want to force Integra into anything she didn't want, either. So his thoughts went on and on in such a fashion, worrying ceaselessly about what would be done. All the excitement that would've been present from spending a second heat with the same partner was far from his mind as the day drew closer.

In retrospect, it probably hadn't been the best idea to let Pip schedule his meetings for the month when the Captain was just coming down from a well-spent heat, but Alucard had been too busy dealing with Britannian and Rhinelander nobles to do it himself. So when he found himself called to a meeting on the day his heat was meant to begin, he dropped his face into his palm with a groan, but as the nobles had already arrived, there was nothing to be done but to go.

Everything the group of nobles said went in one ear and out the other for the Wallachian prince: splitting up territory, freeing prisoners, bartering for a police force in Rhineland, restricting their army-

"What?! You can't just suddenly place a restriction on our troops now that the war is over!" Alucard snapped out of his reverie at a Britannian's suggestion, clenching his hands into fists on the meeting table. "It's not—" he broke off with a sharp inhale; his anger had triggered a heat low in his stomach that was impossible to ignore.

Integra wasn't responding very well to the stress, either. It felt like she was trapped in a tug of war between her old home and her new, dealing with stubborn Britannians and stubborn Wallachians at the same time, and it was the last thing she needed at that moment. "Let's just all try to calm down," she said, glaring at the Britannian who made that suggestion. "I think it's absolutely absurd to limit the Wallachian army. Who helped us defeat the Rhinelanders? Certainly not Il Vaticano." She opened her mouth to say something else about them thinking she couldn't keep the peace between the two countries, when she noticed her husband's sudden tenseness. "Prince Vladislav?" she said sharply, before realizing what the problem was. She tensed too, freezing in horror at the thought of what was about to come. Not here, not in front of all those people, not when there were beastmen in the room....

"Sir Integra," said the Britannian who last spoke, looking oddly disoriented. Suddenly something smelled amazing. "You look... distraught. Is everything alright?"

"Yes," said another Britannian, reaching out to gently touch her arm. "My princess, is there anything we can do for you?" He moved a little closer, looking somewhat hungry. Both of them were completely unused to heats.

Alucard tried to take in a stabilizing breath, but it only served to draw in a lungful of Integra's rich, pure scent, diluted as it was by the less pleasurable smells of others in the room. His brow furrowed and he clenched his teeth, trying to push the fogginess from his mind. "It's not...a valuable—viable option, to...to do so." He growled out, his wings flicking with agitation behind him as he glanced to Integra; she looked equally panicked.  _ Shit, not now, not here!! _

"Is there something the matter here?" said a wary-looking sheep-man, glancing around the table as the tension in the room suddenly jumped up tenfold. The fox-man to his right gave a suspicious nod of agreement.

One of the other Wallachian nobles stared pointedly at his shirtsleeve, fearful of how his prince was beginning to bare his fangs at the Britannian nobles encroaching on his wife. Before Alucard could snap, he burst out; "This meeting is going nowhere; it's a disaster! I propose we adjourn for the day!”

Alucard pushed out of his seat and grabbed up Integra's hand the moment the noble suggested the meeting to be over. "Yes, meeting over, let's go, Integra," he hissed in a rush, his wings twitching anxiously at his back as he tried to communicate his apology to his wife through his gaze.

The touch of his hand was like a lightning bolt going through Integra; she gasped as she was ripped away from her Britannian countrymen and dragged out of the room, still frozen in terror. "Alucard," she murmured, staring into space. With every fiber of her being, she was trying to fight inhaling through her nose, though the telltale ache in her gut was beginning. "Those people... they're going to take you away from me..." Hardly reasonable thinking, but the looming threat of heat was bringing her back to a very unhealthy headspace. "They're going to keep us apart..." Her breathing picked up, almost to the point of hyperventilating as they arrived at their chambers.

Sweat beaded on Alucard’s brow as his body's temperature rose steadily; with every breath he took in, he felt his rationality slipping away with the desire to run his lips over every inch of Integra's body. He needed to stay logical for Integra's sake for just a bit longer. "No, Integra, beloved, no, they won't keep us apart," he assured her.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her cheeks, trying to soothe her with desperation. "Sweetheart, there's nothing to stop us, we're together, it's alright, it's just us." With a flick of his wrist, he led them both into the room and leaned against it to shut it. As soon as they were truly alone, he resumed kissing her cheeks and nuzzling desperately at her neck; his arms wrapped around her waist, making sure she knew he was present as their heat rose. "My love, my Integra, feel me—I'm here, I'm with you, right here to help you through this..."

As Integra's panicked body forced her to breathe in, her eyes rolled back and she moaned in desire. Alucard's scent was beginning to fill the room; she always forgot how beautiful he smelled. 

She sighed, bringing her hands up to rub his stubbled cheeks, before bringing a hand down to his chest. "Alucard, Alucard. I love you, I love you, you're here, thank god. Touch me, Alucard, I need you here. I need you to fill me.”

Alucard nodded, feverishly mouthing and licking at Integra's throat as he backed them toward the bed, undoing his cape and tossing it to the floor with one hand. "I love you too, Integra, beautiful, beloved Integra, I'm here, I'm here for you, I'm ready," he groaned in reply before his legs hit the back of the bed and fell back onto it, his hands never leaving Integra's scalding-hot skin.

Integra groaned in satisfaction as his mouth went to her throat. If only his mouth could be everywhere at once. His cool hands helped though; they soothed her rising body temperature. As soon as Alucard fell back onto the bed, she immediately climbed on top of him and frantically ground her hips against his growing erection in an effort to get the friction she so badly needed. “Please—ah!" She threw her head back to cry out and pressed her body closer to his, eyes filling with tears as the ache got worse. "It's hurting..." She was feeling the oddest mixture of lust and panic, wanting him everywhere around her. Even as close as he was, he was too far away. There were too many layers of clothes between them. He wasn't inside of her.

Alucard whimpered at Integra's cry and tugged her to his mouth while he frantically struggled to undress them both, to comply with any desire Integra had. His own ache was beginning to make him panic too; Integra felt too far away from him in her clothes. A groan left his lips as he rutted against her clothed hips before giving up and thrusting a hand into her underwear to touch her. "Not long now, love, I'm here, you won't hurt anymore..."

Integra whimpered in pleasure and ground against that too, reaching up to rip the dress she was wearing off of her body with strength only displayed in the desperation of her heat. "Off," she moaned, managing to turn the dress into shreds of fabric and slide it off of her body, leaving her in only her underwear.

Moaning softly at the heat of her body, Alucard kicked off his pants and underclothes before sitting up to yank off his shirt; they were sticking to him stiflingly, preventing him from coming fully into contact with Integra's delicious bare skin. "Off," he agreed absently as he thrust his hips up to meet her grinding down on his fingers and body, his breath coming in harsh pants. With his free hand, he dove his fingers into her inner feathers, grasping on for purchase and her pleasure. "Integra, gods, feel so good already… you feel me too, right? We're… we're right here, together… your skin against mine, finally..." he growled, craning his neck up for a kiss. "Wanna… wanna be inside you..."

"Oh, God," moaned Integra at the feeling of his cool skin against her flaming body, bringing her hands down to rip her underwear to shreds. Her breath exited her mouth in small whimpers, only to grow into outright whines as he stroked her inner feathers. "Alucard, yes, I feel you. I f-feel you. You're here, thank God." She slammed her mouth against his, getting on her knees and taking a hold of his cock. "I... I can't wait, Alucard, I can't wait." She sat down on his hips, bringing him inside of her easily and crying out at how good it felt. So big, so good, so much filling her up. Tears overflowed and streamed down her cheeks.

Alucard cried out as Integra took him in in one movement, clutching the base of her wings as sheer ecstasy overtook him. It felt so incredible to finally, finally spend his heat with Integra as he was meant to; the ache of his arousal fell away to pure pleasure, and he groaned loudly, his head falling forward to Integra's shoulders where he mouthed desperately at her skin. "Gods, Integra, gods, you're… so good… I can feel you, finally, I can feel you!" He moaned, giving a shallow buck of his hips before beginning to thrust into her in earnest. "I love you, so much, I love you—Integra—!!"

"Alu- mmph!" Integra tried to stifle her cries. "Faster, harder, please, you can be rougher with me," she said, riding him in earnest to meet his thrusts. "God, so good, so good... I missed you, Alucard, I missed this... ah, God..." She tugged desperately at her own hair as her pleasure grew, the pain only heightening her pleasure.

Alucard growled heatedly, nodding his head once before surging forward to pin Integra on her back. His mouth immediately began adoring the faded mark on her neck while his hand lifted her leg, allowing him to thrust deeper and with stronger precision. "Integra, I know, I know, I missed you too, I've wanted this with you for so long—" he rasped, his wings flaring and spreading wide above them before cloaking them in privacy as they had for their first time. "I'll never—never make you feel that pain again, never in my life—every heat, I'll be with you—" His words were becoming nonsensical as he drove harder into his mate, coming closer and closer to the edge.

Integra growled in pleasure. "Yes," she hissed, throwing her arms around his neck and bringing him close to her, reveling in their private love and heat. "Alucard, never again, I couldn't... I couldn't do it again, please. Keep moving, I'm coming, I'm com—AH!" She tossed her head back, shaking it as she rode out her wave of pleasure.

"I couldn't either, I couldn't do it without you again," Alucard pressed his forehead to hers in desperation as he continued to thrust harder, faster. His thoughts were full of nothing but Integra, his wife, his mate, his partner, finally spending their second heat together while he cupped her face to his and showered her in kisses, "I love you so much—my Integra, my beloved, beautiful, Integra—I'm—!!" He broke off with a groan of pleasure as he came inside his mate, gasping with the sheer force of his climax. When he finally began to come down, he nuzzled gently at Integra's tear-stained cheek, his bare chest brushing hers with every inhale. "That was… incredible."

Integra had settled back down onto the bed, her breathing slowing as she came down from her high. But when Alucard came inside her, filling her up with his seed, she moaned and felt her pleasure peak again almost impossibly fast, weakly rocking her hips. When it was finally over and she could relax—at least for now—she hugged him close. She was openly sobbing again, but there was a smile on her face. "Alucard," she said breathlessly, nuzzling back against him. "You... our... breeding, you..." She was babbling through her tears, hormones rendering her blissfully stupid.

Alucard exhaled heavily as the all-encompassing, desperate desire to make love to his mate faded to a temporarily calm and blissful state of adoration. Pushing back his sweat-soaked hair with one hand, he cupped her cheek with the other and wiped away the tears with his thumb, smiling lovingly yet understandingly at her senseless words. "We did..." he agreed, his whole body practically vibrating with the force of his purrs at the mention of their breeding. "Our second, our breeding heat… so… with any luck..." Wordlessly, his hand drifted to her stomach and stroked the warm skin there; he nuzzled under her chin, his wingtips flicking with delight.

As soon as Alucard's hand touched her stomach, Integra began purring incredibly loudly. She kissed all over his face, playfully messing with his hair with her hands. "Yes, and then we'll have... I feel... I feel so good, so good..." she said happily. "Alucard, I love you, I love you."

A quiet chuckle left Alucard's lips, startling him a little. "Yes, yes, as many as you want, I'll give them all to you," he said with delight as she showered him in kisses. He eagerly returned them, his wings and arms wrapping tighter around his beloved mate. He kissed a light trail from her lips to her shoulder, almost overwhelmed by how much love he was feeling for Integra. "Me too, I love you more than anything—I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. Light of my life..."

Integra felt a little dizzy, she was so happy. This was exactly what she had wanted, what she had feared she would never feel again. "I want all of them," she said suddenly, her desires clearly being driven by the heat. "I want hundreds of them. All of your children. As many as we can have." 

Alucard grinned against her throat and kissed her pulsepoint, his hands rubbing up and down her sides before massaging her feathers lazily. "As many as we can, love, we'll have hundreds, a whole army's worth together...all with your silvery wings..."

"Your wings," argued Integra stubbornly, imagining their children with glossy black feathers. "I want them to have your wings." 

“Whatever you want, my love,” Alucard said easily. He buried his head in her shoulder before noticing the faintness of the mark on her throat. He nosed at it and gave it a teasing lick. "Mmh, our marks need an update, I think."

"I suppose," she said lowly with a sudden dark frown; she had never truly forgotten watching her mate get marked by someone else in front of her.

Alucard kissed the mark, trying to soothe her. "I just want everyone to know I'm yours...only yours..." His voice trailed off as the familiar warmth began to build in the pit of his stomach, making his skin tingle pleasantly. "Mmh… Integra… do you want...?" He ran his palm down her thigh, lifting it a little.

As Integra’s own heat began to build again, her eyes flashed dangerously and she grabbed ahold of his horns, yanking his head back to bite the mark on his neck once more.

Alucard gave a growl of surprise and arousal; his eyes rolled back in his head with the force of his lust before he ducked his head to bite down on Integra's mark, groaning loudly as her blood hit his tongue. 

Integra moaned loudly and shamelessly, taking in pulls of his blood eagerly. 

His hands went to grasp handfuls of her inner feathers, his blunt nails scratching against sensitive muscle; his hips thrust down into hers as he swallowed his first delicious mouthful of blood.

Her moan turned into a whimper. She began bucking her hips against his and bringing her hands down to caress his own wings, hitting the sensitive inner spots.

Alucard gave a long, muffled groan against Integra's throat; the arousal that shot through him at her touch urged his hips into a steady, slightly rough rhythm, breathing hard through his nose as he took her in blood and body. The overwhelming connection between the two mates soon had Alucard back on the edge; he released Integra's throat, gasping, and dove back in to seal the wound with his rough tongue. His fingers went to grasp the base of his mate's wings. "Integra, Integra, Integra—!!"

As they continued to move together, Integra could feel Alucard's pleasure as if it were hers; it was overwhelming in the best possible way. Already she was close to coming as she removed her teeth from his neck and lapped at the wound around her moans, desperately trying to stave off her impending orgasm. But the moment Alucard took hold of the base of her wings she lost control, screaming out her pleasure as she shook in his arms.

Alucard continued to moan his mate's name with wanton abandon, bowing his head into Integra's shoulder as he came inside of her for the second time, his hips still canting desperately into hers and his hands clutching the base of her wings. The bliss of his orgasm seemed to last forever, yet all too soon he was coming down from his high, panting and shaking slightly. Drunken exhaustion crashed over him suddenly, and he flopped on top of his mate with a grunt, licking absently at the mark on her neck."Integra… _mmh_ , love you… so much..."

Integra moaned breathlessly in relief, clenching her muscles to keep every drop of him in. She panted with him as they both relaxed onto the bed, sighing as he licked at her neck. "I love you," she murmured, reaching up to scratch the base of one of his horns. "I love the way you feel inside me. I love that you're fathering my children."

Alucard nosed adoringly against her chin, purring with joy. His wings fell over them like a shroud and he sighed with sheer happiness, relaxing into the pillows. "I love you too, everything about you," he murmured again before kissing down her neck, her sternum, her breasts, before finally resting his lips on her stomach, his heat-addled mind imagining that somehow their children were already beginning to grow inside. "And I'll love our children—our beautiful children, perfect as you..." Nuzzling her belly, he shut his eyes and placed one hand there like he was bestowing a blessing. "May the Parcae bless us with a healthy nest."

The heat passed in a blissful haze, yet two months later, Alucard had yet to notice any signs that it had been successful; of course, it was difficult to tell if conception had occurred until the obvious signs showed themselves, with some exceptions, but he was anxious that something had gone wrong—that it was his fault all along that Jusztina hadn't carried their children to term, if it would be the same with Integra, or if either one of them was infertile. It didn't help that there was mounting tensions between the major countries recently, bringing he and Integra in for meetings that lasted nearly the entire day and left them both irritated, anxious, and swamped with work.

"Those beastmen wouldn't know a proper ruler if one bit them in the ass," Alucard complained as they entered their room after a particularly grueling council meeting; he tossed the stack of papers onto a nearby dresser's top and reached around to undo the bindings on his wings without much success. The Britannian forces had visited today, and insisted on meeting with he and Integra with their wings bound. "I don't know how the hell they're going to figure out who to choose."

Integra grumbled as she walked into the room, heading over to Alucard and quickly unbinding his wings, accidentally pulling out a few feathers and sighing at how soft they were. Then she walked over to the bed, keeping the feathers in her hands, and collapsed face-first, making sure to not crush her bound wings. She mumbled something about how she was too tired to bother with it all into the pillow.

Alucard hadn't even noticed Integra had pulled out a couple of his feathers until he turned to see Integra flop into their bed with a couple in hand. They seemed oddly light and downy for his normally sleek and dark feathers... Shaking his head, he sat down beside his mate on the bed and gently began undoing her bindings, only to come away with a handful of fluffy white feathers. Alarmed at how many feathers had come out at such light touch, he shook Integra's shoulder.

"Integra, sweetheart, are you feeling alright? I went to undo your wings and all these fluff—" He broke off, looking back at the handful of down in his hand. Winged ones only molted if they were badly ill, or... 

His eyes widened and a slight smile appeared on his lips. He hardly paid attention to his own wings because he had been so stressed out, but now that he thought about it, they had been getting softer and irritatingly itchy at the inner feathers. "Integra, I think you—have your wings been itchy lately? Like you maybe even felt the urge to pull the feathers out?" He asked in a slightly shaking voice, smoothing his palm up and down her arm.

"Hmmm?" said Integra dreamily, rubbing his feathers against her face absentmindedly. She had been feeling very out of sorts, lately; hungry in bursts, some stomach problems, some weight gain. All she wanted to do was laze about in bed with Alucard—not even have sex necessarily, just cuddle and be close. God, his feathers smelled so good. Suddenly, she wanted more of them. "Sorry, I..." She turned and looked up at him, sighing happily at his touch. "Very itchy, yes. I keep scratching..."

Alucard's smile widened into a knowing grin as Integra rolled over to meet his eyes, and he placed a hand on her cheek. How had he not seen the obvious signs that their heat had, in fact, been successful all along? "Me, too," He laughed a little in disbelief, setting the handful of soft feathers onto their bed before settling his palm on her belly. "Integra, love, do you know what this means?"

Integra sighed, nuzzling against his hand. "What 'r you so happy about?" Then he placed his hand on her stomach, and her eyes widened. "Alu... am I? Did we do it?" she said softly, her voice uncharacteristically high.

Alucard nodded, his eyes watering with tears of joy as he stroked her cheek. "I think—I think so, Integra. I think you are." He whispered, his voice slightly hoarse with emotion. He bent to nuzzle his forehead against hers, choking back a half-laugh, half-sob. "We did it. Right under my palm, there's… and we're both molting for a nest, for our children!" A tear streaked down his face. "I'm so—Integra… it worked, you're… you're pregnant!"

"Oh, Alucard," murmured Integra, reaching out to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him into an embrace. Even she was sniffling. "I can't believe... there's life inside me, oh my God. A nest... God, a nest sounds amazing right now." She couldn't believe how happy she felt. If someone told her, not two years ago, that she would find such happiness with a Wallachian's child inside of her she would have laughed in their face. But now, she found herself holding back tears of joy.

Alucard hugged Integra back tightly, burying his face in her shoulder as he shed a few more tears of joy. He kissed every inch of her he could reach, laughing with disbelief and delight. "There is! You're—gods, yes, a nest! We'll start it right away, make sure you're comfortable and warm and—gods, I can't believe it, Integra!" he babbled, too excited to get his thoughts into order. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that his beloved mate—a Britannian princess—was carrying his children, and two months along, no less! 

Integra chuckled at how emotional and excited Alucard was, kissing him back as much as she was able. "It's wonderful," she said blissfully. "Alucard, it's wonderful." 

He nodded as his wings ruffled excitedly. "Where do you want the nest, love? It's up to you, wherever you feel comfortable..."

Integra thought hard for a moment before burying her fingers in his wings, gently nudging the shedding feathers out. "Here is fine. I want to sleep in it." It was so strange, the idea that she was craving lying in a nest of their shed feathers, of all things. But it was what she wanted. She wanted their smells intertwined.

Alucard sniffed and nodded in agreement, giving a watery laugh. "It's incredible. Really, it's...it's everything I wanted for us." He wiped his tears aside with his sleeve and smiled as Integra ruffled out a couple of fluffy gray-black feathers from his wings. It itched, but Alucard was far too excited to care. "I'm glad you're choosing such a convenient spot. Mothers-to-be can set up their nests in the weirdest places; I've heard stories about nests being built in bathtubs, under desks, under lofted beds, sometimes even outside. Instincts are strange things."

He chuckled, running his fingers through Integra's wings and gently brushing out a handful of down. It was incredibly soft to the touch, and smelled wonderful. He rubbed it between his fingers before setting it on the bed between them, next to his own fallen down-feathers.

Integra barely looked as if she was listening to his words; she was too busy staring in awe at the feathers that fell from her mate's wings. She moaned softly as he touched her, her wings shuddering enough to shake loose a few feathers like autumn leaves.

"Of course, when your territorial instincts kick in, we won't be able to receive visitors in our room,” Alucard continued. “But you want the nest to be here, so the nest will be here.” 

"It's comfortable here," she said defensively. 

“That’s true,” he agreed, not wanting to upset her. “Do you need anything to start it off? I think sometimes articles of clothing from mates are used..."

Integra’s eyes lit up at his suggestion. "Clothes." She slipped her hands under his shirt, starting to peel it off with no prior warning. His scent made her feel safe.

Alucard opened his mouth to speak but stopped and raised his eyebrows as Integra suddenly began to pull off his shirt. Wordlessly he helped her take it off, his body almost on autopilot to assist with anything his mate required. He tugged it over his horns and handed it to Integra, smiling adoringly. "Do you want my cloak from today, too?" he asked, half-joking, as he turned to preen away the down-feathers from his wings. 

Integra sighed, burying her face in his shirt and inhaling intensely. "Nice," she sighed, before looking up to continue watching him preen with eager eyes.

Alucard noticed Integra watching him preen and smiled warmly. "I'll be doing this a lot in the coming months, don't worry." He assured her, leaning over to kiss her lips and scratch a little at her soft wings. As he preened, his feathers fell soundlessly in soft piles on the sheets. He chuckled at the sight. "I can't believe I didn't notice either of our down-feathers coming in. I even saw Seras and Pip's, but I didn't think… well. Now we know."

"I didn't realize either," she agreed in wonderment, though it was very hard not to concentrate exclusively on building up her nest. "I thought Seras was acting silly. I suppose I shouldn't have judged her."

"I suppose I thought the same of Pip; he's had his head in the clouds and sheds feathers everywhere during practice. Seras too, now that I think about it… always looking at each other and giggling… kissing all the time," he broke off with a yawn, nuzzling his bearded cheek to Integra's smooth, almost glowing one as his fingers continued to brush away Integra's molted feathers. "We'll be quite the pair of lovebirds, won't we? I certainly can't blame them now… I don't know how I'm going to manage a minute apart from you."

"Me neither. I want to be with you always, my love." She sighed as he kissed her neck, humming in thought. "Will there be enough?" she worried, looking at the large bed barely covered with feathers. "Even with both of us, we don't have a lot of feathers." 

"My love, there will be plenty. Don't worry; we'll have more than enough to make this bed into a perfect nest, big as you want." Alucard gently lifted his mate into his lap and immediately began nuzzling her again, needing to be as close as possible and breathe in her scent. It was heavenly, almost as intoxicating as the scent of her heat but calming rather than arousing. It made him want to purr and purr and never stop. 

"Alright," said Integra in slight disbelief, smiling as he put her in his lap. "As long as you're in it, I suppose I don't care how big it is," she said, inhaling his scent deeply. Her fears were assuaged a bit by Alucard's touch, and she sighed as she wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled back.

"Mmh,” Alucard murmured as he kissed her neck, “We'll have to schedule an appointment with the doctor."

Integra nodded. "Yes, definitely schedule an appointment with Trevelyan. I want to know everything is progressing the way it should. What symptoms will I have, with half-Wallachian babies? In Britannia it would be nausea, moods swings, weight gain..."

He kissed her neck, smiling. "Hmm, let's see… well, molting takes up a lot of energy, so you'll probably be very tired and very hungry… hm, less mood swings and more… sweetness, is the word I'd use. Very cuddly, very patient—probably something to do with preparing for taking care of little ones. Though that sort of… turns inward to your mate and close family members later on. Like I said, you'll probably because very territorial toward outsiders in the later months."

His purr brought out Integra’s in response, and she chuckled. "I declare I do already feel a bit sleepy. Maybe a bit peckish. Sweet, though? I can't imagine my being sweet, can you? Territorial is more my speed. Although I don't want to feel as hostile as I was when we returned from Rhineland..."

Alucard continued to preen his mate's wings, nosing at her sweet-smelling hair. "Well, we'll think about it later. You could certainly take a nap and I'll call up a little meal for you, but I need to look over those Rhinelander candidate papers before the meeting tomorrow..." He trailed off, reluctant to do any work that wasn't focused on looking after his mate. He chuckled. "I can certainly imagine your being sweet, but I'm biased. And don't worry; you'll only be territorial when someone invades your space—your nest—and only around the final, eighth month. And what should I expect from my beautiful Britannian wife?"

Integra moaned low in her throat as Alucard continued to touch her wings, rolling her hips lazily as warmth slowly grew inside her. She kissed her mark on his neck, before pouting as he told her he had to work. "Don't you want to spend more time with the mother of your children?" she asked innocently, looking at him with uncharacteristically wide eyes.

Alucard whined as Integra rolled her hips against his, his fingers curling in her feathers. He sat back a little to look her in the eye, his expression pained at her endearing expression. "Integra..." He groaned, nuzzling her cheek, "You know I'd be more than happy to lay with you, caring for you and our children all day..." He held her flush against his chest, kissing the top of her head and wrapping his wings around her. "I would much rather just cuddle you and breathe you in… well, I suppose I could put off the papers until tomorrow, or pass them off on Pip and Seras."

Integra smiled craftily when she knew Alucard wasn't looking, still nuzzling into him with a sleepy determination. "Yes, put them off, pass them on," she said, her words somewhat slurred as she lolled her head against him. "I want... ugh, if only I was awake enough to have sex with you... smell so good..." Her hips were still moving, even though they had slowed considerably—almost imperceptible in their movement.

After a long sigh, Alucard smiled. "I'll give them to Pip tomorrow morning. What's the use of being crown prince if I don't have some perks, after all?" He groaned softly at the slow, lazy movement of Integra's hips and flopped back into the pillows, careful not to jostle her or put too much pressure on her stomach. As he continued to run his fingers through her down, letting it fall around them like snow onto the sheets, he kissed her cheeks, nose, and lips sleepily but tenderly. "Mmh, me too… but I want to check with Trevelyan to see if it's okay first..." he mumbled, leaning back his head to yawn widely before dropping it back onto the pillow with a grunt. After a moment, he smiled. "I still can't believe it: you, Integra Tepes-Hellsing, my wife and mate, pregnant. It's just… amazing."

"Agreed," mumbled Integra, opening her eyes in surprise as they fell back on the bed together, before snuggling up to him once more and closing them again. She huffed as he continued to run his fingers through her wings, wanting to reciprocate but feeling far too fatigued. "No fair, I'm sure it's..." She responded to his yawn with her own, before laying her head on his chest. She smiled sleepily, feeling herself dropping off. "Amazing..." She couldn't ever remember a time where she felt happier.

 

* * *

As with all things, their happiness had to come to an end; while Britannia and Wallachia were eagerly awaiting the arrival of their heirs as the months passed, the other two major countries were not nearly as thrilled. Rhineland was in a state of chaos from political upheaval and division between Britannia and Wallachia, which caught the attention of their southern neighbors, Il Vaticano. The upset of the balance of power worried the usually cloistered country and they lashed out, threatening war if Britannia and Wallachia continued to increase their bond and territory—and ever the warmongers, Wallachia pressed onward regardless, sending even more troops than before to colonize Rhineland. Il Vaticano kept their word and declared war within the fortnight, emerging from their isolation to unleash a surprisingly devastating army full of soldiers no more than human in appearance, but with the lethal abilities of regeneration, super strength, and something that could only be described as magic. They charged into Rhineland, wiping out whole platoons of Wallachian settlers, and announced their intent to march on the capitol next.

For the first time in his life, Alucard did not want to go to battle. Normally he was chomping at the bit to slaughter those who had wronged his countrymen, but with Integra in such a vulnerable state it felt as if he was cleaving off a limb by leaving her behind. His pride as a prince-general and his honor as a faithful mate were in direct contrast to each other, leaving him agitated and on the verge of begging his parents to let him stay behind—at least until Integra had safely delivered their children.

"Mother, please. I can't leave her—it's not—I can't." Alucard dropped his eyes, his hands shaking as they clenched into fists at his sides. His wings trembled. "Not until I know she'll be alright. I need to be here for her."

His mother looked on, looking icy-eyed and stoic. "Alucard, this is not the time for personal emotions to cloud your judgment. You are a prince, first and foremost, and our general. We will not argue this further. Leave Us, and prepare your troops for battle."

The prince snarled and stormed out of the throne room, heading for the sanctuary of his bedroom—and Integra.

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I swear to you, Integra," he said as he kissed her, feeling every cell in his body screaming to stay by her side, Wallachia be damned, "I will return to you as soon as I can. I'll live to see you and our children no matter what I have to do," he choked out, eyes burning. "I'll be back before you even have time to miss me."

Alucard made sure to take a couple minutes to compose himself before he opened the door to their bedroom; there was nothing more he wanted to avoid than to upset his mate, who had been so peaceful for the past two months—she deserved her happiness more than anyone Alucard knew, and he was loathe to do or say anything to worry her. He would tell her eventually, just not… right away.

Meanwhile, Integra was lounging in her room, in her nest, with a bowl of grapes and a nice book. She was smiling slightly, humming to herself. Her days seemed to be floating by, filled with naps and relaxation and Alucard. Her Wallachian pregnancy was indeed making her very sweet, loving, and sleepy, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up with her mate and their feathers. As she was halfway through, she was showing and her breasts had swelled. The nest had gotten quite large at that point, especially with Alucard's large wings producing so many feathers. It was heavenly. She preferred to keep the door to their room closed, so their collective scents perfumed the air. She was enjoying pregnancy far more than she thought she would, even though Alucard was so overprotective with her. At the same time, though, she couldn't wait until their child was born. 

She looked up eagerly as the door opened, sitting up and dropping her book to watch Alucard walk in. "Hello, baby," she said dreamily. "I'm so glad you're back. I missed you." 

Alucard smiled softly at the sound of Integra's voice and went to kiss his wife gently on the lips, placing one palm on her rounded belly and the other on her cheek. He inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet, almost flowery scent of their nest; it calmed him almost immediately, and all thoughts fell away till nothing but Integra and their children existed. 

"Afternoon, sweetheart. I missed you too; these meetings go by so slowly when you aren't there with me. Mother sends her love, of course," he replied, his voice falling low and gentle as it tended to do in Integra's presence nowadays. "How're you feeling? Are you warm enough, comfy, a little hungry? Any kicks today?"

Integra sighed, even as she nuzzled the hand on her cheek and placed her own hand over the one on her belly. "I wish you'd let me come to the meetings," she said, unable to sound too upset. "It's only sitting down and listening to news. It will certainly not hurt the baby."

Alucard chuckled, stroking his thumb over her cheek. He crawled into the soft, white-gray nest so as to be closer to Integra, keeping his hand on her stomach. "They're all stress and no substance; I don't want you to worry unnecessarily. Besides, you're more comfortable here—how're you feeling? Are you warm enough, comfy, a little hungry?" 

Integra smiled. "I'm feeling fine; nice and warm, comfy, I have snacks." She sighed again, happy this time. "I thought about you the whole time you were gone."

“I know, sweetheart. But you’re safer and more relaxed here; nice and warm with plenty of snacks, like you said. All perfect for my perfect mate,” Alucard assured her, leaning down to kiss her again. His care did not come from a place of thinking Integra was weak; far from it. He knew she was the strongest woman alive, but he couldn’t help but think of Juzstina’s death and worry immensely. “Any kicks today?" 

Of course Integra understood his concerns. She nodded, unfazed by his questions. “It kicked again, I think, but not too bad. God, though, it feels like it has at least twenty feet.”

Alucard raised an eyebrow, smiling. Just having one baby in a Wallachian pregnancy would be a bizarre anomaly; surely Integra didn't think one baby could cause all that kicking? "Well, there's probably… what, six feet in there? Maybe eight, but I doubt it; you'd be bigger by now if that were the case… the little wings probably make it feel like twenty though, hm?" Pausing, he rubbed his palm over her belly and grinned when he felt a soft series of fluttering movements in response. "Active little ones, aren't they?" 

The sweet scent of the room got almost imperceptibly sharper. "You... what are you saying?" Integra asked, inhaling quickly as her baby... babies?... kicked in response to Alucard's touch. "You... what do you mean, I'm having- this is some Wallachian thing I don't know about, isn't it?"

 Alucard's eyebrows rose even higher; she was acting almost as if— "Wait, this isn't a Britannian thing too? We only go through heats once a year, so biologically we need to make up the lowered birth rate with having more than one fledgeling… is… that not the case for you as well?" he asked, genuinely curious if she was joking or not. His palm continued rubbing soothingly over her belly automatically, as if in response to the subtly sharper scent of the room. His curious expression turned apologetic."Integra, love, you really didn't know?"

Integra sighed, resting her head back on the nest. The scent in the room lost its sharpness as she realized she should have seen this coming. "I certainly didn't. I should have found out more about Wallachian pregnancies, I assumed..." She sighed again and smiled up at him. "Well, more babies means more love to go around, I suppose.”

Frowning apologetically, Alucard lay down beside Integra and stroked her hair with a sympathetic coo. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew, that Dr. Trevelyan would've told you if things were different..." He sighed and nuzzled at her hair when she cuddled up to him.

 “Really, Alucard, it’s fine,” Integra insisted. “I'll have my mate here to help me with them; what could go wrong? I know you're going to be a good father." She cuddled close to him, kissing his neck.

Alucad  rested his chin on top of her head with an unseen frown at her words; with any luck, he would be gone to war with Il Vaticano and back again by the time the children were born, but… there was always that chance that he wouldn't come back at all. 

His arms wrapped tighter around her waist, cuddling as close as her rounded belly would allow and placed a warm, soft wing over them both. "I can't wait to see them, raise them with you… our beautiful, perfect children… perfect as you." He kissed the crown of her head, shutting his eyes. "You'll be a perfect mother. Even if I wasn't here with you, you would raise them to be as noble, as powerful as you." 

Integra had been drifting off into fantasies of little babies with red eyes when Alucard’s words reached her. She opened her eyes, looking at him suspiciously. Something wasn't right with her mate. "Why would you say that?" she said softly. 

Alucard kept his eyes closed and buried his face further into her hair, trying to avoid Integra's gaze. His arms tightened around her waist, trying to hold her closer. He couldn't keep his deployment against Il Vaticano a secret for much longer, and she deserved to know. "Il Vaticano has declared war upon Wallachia," he mumbled softly, rubbing his palms along her belly and hips. "They're marching on our capitol, and I… have to lead our troops against them. I leave for the front in a week." Drawing in a sharp breath, he kissed her head and opened his eyes, still keeping his gaze averted from Integra's. His stomach twisted at the very thought of leaving Integra's side for more than a couple hours, much less months at a time. He felt sick with guilt. "I'm sorry, I—I tried to convince my parents to send Radu instead… I don't want to leave you, Integra. Not until I at least know you're alright."

As Alucard told her the news, Integra froze. The scent in the room sharpened again, and this time is was much more noticeable. She reached out to grip Alucard's arm tightly. Every instinct in her body was screaming out that he couldn't leave her, that he could never leave her, that she couldn't survive without him. "I see," she said, her throat tight and voice wobbly. She looked at him desperately, but he wasn't looking at her. "I... I suppose if you must..." She trailed off, not having the heart to continue. Her eyes watered with tears as she clung to him.

Alucard made a pained noise in his throat, every instinct urging him to comfort her by telling her he could stay, that he would stay forever. He began to purr in a futile effort to soothe her, nuzzling apologetically at her hair and kissing her cheeks. "My love, I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry. I would never leave you by my own will, you know that, don't you?" he whispered, his voice harsh with emotion as Integra's eyes welled with tears.

Despite her best efforts, tears began dripping down Integra's cheeks, only to be caught by Alucard's kisses. "I know," she said tearfully, shuddering as he stroked her wings so tenderly. "I know, I know you would never. I just... what will I do without you? How long do you think..." She trailed off once more.

Alucard cupped her cheek in his hand while the other stroked her downy wings, finally meeting her eyes. "I… I don't know. Il Vaticano is a powerful nation, and even if Britannia joins us, we… I'm just not sure what will happen. I've never fought Il Vaticano's forces or read anything about their tactics in the past. But I swear to you, Integra," he said as he kissed her, feeling every cell in his body screaming to stay by her side, Wallachia be damned, "I will return to you as soon as I can. I'll live to see you and our children no matter what I have to do," he choked out, eyes burning. "I'll be back before you even have time to miss me."

 Integra let out a sob. "Oh God, Alucard; that's impossible. I already miss you, I miss you so much." She clung to him desperately. "I'm so afraid of giving birth; what if I do something wrong? And I kill them, and it's my fault? Or what if I... God, Alucard, I can't do this without you!" Realizing what she was saying, she quickly added, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be saying this, I'm making you feel terrible; I know you have a duty." Her body shook with repressed sobs.

"Oh, Integra," Alucard whimpered at the sight of her tears and kissed more furiously at her cheeks, desperate to ease her pain. His heart broke—what kind of mate was he to make her suffer this way?—and a tear slipped down his face, soon joined by more. He clutched her to him, pressing his wings close around her. "Dear heart, beloved one, I'm so—I'm so, so sorry. I'm so sorry—gods, I need to be with you, but I can't," his voice broke wretchedly and he kissed her again before burying his face in her hair, his shoulders shaking. 

Integra buried her wet face in his neck, nodding fiercely. "I know you can't, I know. But Alucard, what if something goes wrong?" 

Alucard whined softly. he felt as if his world would end if he couldn't be at Integra's side when she carried and bore their children; he couldn't help her with her little pains, he couldn't help maintain the nest, and he couldn't ease her through her labor as he could as a mate. "You'll be alright, you won't—the birth won't, can't go wrong, it'll be—fine." Again his voice cracked and broke as he choked back a sob, pulling back to grasp her face in his hands. He tried to compose his expression, to try and reassure her. A couple tears streaked down his cheeks despite himself. "You're strong, Integra. You can bring our children safely into this world with or without me, I know you can. Right?" 

She stared at him as he pulled back with wide, melting eyes. "Even if I can do it without you, I don't want to!" She pushed away from him, turning to bury her face in the nest. "Leave me," she said, her voice muffled. "Come back soon, but leave me for now. I need a few moments to collect myself." 

"Integra," Alucard said, drawing back with an expression of shocked hurt. He wanted nothing more than to curl up around her and stay there until he was called to battle a week later, and to be sent away by Integra without comforting her broke his heart worse than he had thought possible. After a long moment, he nodded mutely and pushed himself off the bed, feeling hollow. "Alright, I'll..." He dashed the tears away from his face and took in a low, shuddering breath. "I'm so sorry, Integra." His wings tucked close around his shoulders, he took his cloak back and pulled it over himself before heading for the door. "I'm so, so sorry."

Integra sobbed to herself as soon as Alucard left the room, hugging the feathers as if they could embrace her back. Her world felt as if it was collapsing around her. "We're going to be ok," she whispered, placing a hand on her stomach and feeling her children kick. But at that moment, she didn't believe it.

Of course, she forgave Alucard soon after, and they were inseparable for the rest of the week. The time they weren't cuddling, they were making love, or speaking together. Their time was punctuated by tears, either from her eyes or from his.

 

* * *

 

The week went by all too quickly, and then it came time to say goodbye. "Write, if you can," she said, sitting in their nest and watching him suit up for battle. "Send a messenger, or a bird. Let me know everything you're able." Her eyes were dry, but her heart was heavy.

Alucard's eyes were dim with sorrow rather than their usual fire on the eve of battle, his entire being screaming at him to abandon his position as general and hide away in their nest with his mate until their children came safely into the world. He placed his pieces of armor on with grieved slowness, not wanting to leave Integra any faster than he had to. 

He nodded numbly at his wife's request, his eyes flickering to hers as she spoke. He forced a weak smile, trying to take in the beautiful image of Integra in their nest in the dim early morning light—her soft silvery wings, long blonde hair, glowing dark skin, bright blue eyes, her stomach rounded with their children… His heart clenched painfully in his chest and he dropped his gaze. "I'll write to you every moment I'm able to," He assured her, picking up his helmet from the nightstand and tucking it under his arm. "But there won't be a day that goes by that you won't hear from me somehow. You do the same—I want to know everything about your day, no matter how trivial it may sound. It'll help me feel like… like I'm here with you."

Integra turned away to lie back on the bed, looking away from him. She didn't want to cry again, and whenever she looked at him.... "I... thank you," she said, taking a feather and examining it in an effort to distract herself. "Of course I will. I'll tell you everything."

 “Thank you,” Alucard said with a nod. Finally he swallowed hard and turned to look at Integra, his expression finally cracking to reveal how truly devastated he was to leave. "Integra… I don't want to go," he admitted in a quiet, broken voice.

Integra closed her eyes, feeling them water again.. "Oh, Alucard... I don't want you to go either." She turned around to sit up and face him. "But you have to," she said, her voice determined. "And you have to come back. You have to come back and see your children."

 Alucard set his helmet on the bed and knelt to be at his wife's eye level, meeting her gaze with mingling passion and grief in his eyes when she turned to face him. "I'll come back to you and our children no matter what, Integra. No one can keep me from returning to your side—I'll crawl back from the pits of hell and cut down Hades himself if I have to. This I swear to you." Taking her hand, he reverently kissed the band on her ring finger before turning it over and kissing her palm, resting his lips there for a long moment. "I won't leave you to raise our children alone."

"I believe you," said Integra immediately, her expression set firm. "I know you'll come back." She realized it was true; she had complete faith in him. She watched him for a moment, before grabbing a hold of his hair and pulling him up for a deep kiss. As she let go of him, she realized that although she did have complete faith that he'd come back, she also had the worst feeling. The same feeling she had right before their assault on Rhineland.

Dread. 

Alucard cupped Integra's face in his hands as she tugged her to him and kissed her with all the passion he could muster, trying to express all his undying love for her in one gesture; who knew how long it would be before he could kiss these lips again? He clutched her to him and kissed her with the frantic desperation of a dying man, feeling his eyes burn with tears at the thought of what he had to do. He willed them away and tilted his head to let his tongue delve deeper into Integra's mouth, sucking on her tongue to take the taste that was uniquely Integra into himself, committing it to memory.

All too soon he was forced to break for breath, but he immediately pressed his forehead to hers and squeezed his eyes shut. "I love you more than anything in the world, Integra. Please, please never forget that… my beautiful, powerful Integra. My magnificent Hausos," he whispered, his thumbs stroking her cheeks.

 Integra had to do her best not to sob into the kiss, moaning instead at the delicious feeling of their tongues sliding together. God, this couldn't be the last time. It couldn't be. He swore it to her. "I love you more than anything, Alucard," she replied, pressing her forehead back against his and putting a hand on his scraggly cheek. "Fight well. Come home."

There was a knock on the door. He sighed wearily and drew back to meet Integra's eyes. "It's time." He ducked his head to kiss her rounded stomach, nuzzling against it adoringly. "Be good for your mother. I love you, each one of you."

Integra closed her eyes once more, fighting against more tears. "Go. I can't say goodbye, I refuse to."

 After one final kiss to the center of her stomach and taking his helmet under his arm, Alucard got to his feet. "Then I'll simply say: until we meet again, Integra. I love you," he replied with a small, sad smile. Tears stung his eyes again and he turned away, heading for the door; he knew that if he spent one more minute with Integra, he wouldn't be able to tear himself away from her. His hand rested on the doorknob for a long moment before he steeled himself and opened it, quickly but softly shutting it behind him.

"I love you," said Integra one more time.

Radu was waiting outside of the door, dressed in a sleek new set of black armor. "Said your goodbyes to the wife and little ones?" he asked with a grin; Alucard shouldered past him and pulled on his helmet, trying to close his emotions off. He would return to  Integra and their children—come hell or high water.

Meanwhile, Integra waited until Alucard was out of earshot before collapsing back onto her nest and starting to sob. She cried deeply and heavily, as if her heart was bleeding.

There was a knock on the door and she looked up. "Who... Alucard?" she said.

 But the door opened and it was Seras, tears running down her cheeks. She was also quite pregnant, and she looked like Integra felt. "I'm sorry, my lady," she said hoarsely. "I... I didn't know where else to go."

Without another word, Integra stood up and walked over to the love seat in the corner, holding out her arms. Seras ran into them, sitting beside Integra and sobbing into her lady's shoulder. The two of them did nothing but cry together for the next hour or so, before collapsing against each other to blissfully lose consciousness for a while.

 

* * *

 

Two months passed; two agonizing months. Integra faithfully wrote to Alucard every day; even if nothing had happened, she told him how the babies were kicking and how the sunrise that morning had been so beautiful. She tried to keep up her energy, but her sweetness from earlier in the pregnancy seemed to have morphed into melancholy. She felt as if Alucard's scent in their nest faded with every day she lay in it. She lived for his letters, lived for the bits of scent that they brought. Sometimes he sent her a shirt he had no use for, and she happily peppered their nest with it. All of her dreams were either of Alucard coming home, or Alucard perishing in war. She missed him most terribly, more than anything else she could possibly imagine.

_The months felt like years on the battlefield to Alucard; Il Vaticano was relentless, and it appeared that neither side was close to backing down. The only bright moment in Alucard's long, bloody days was nighttime, where he read Integra's letters. The contents of them were so beautiful that it made his chest ache, and he wrote back eagerly each time, asking for more. He was in the midst of writing one such letter when a deafening crackle resounded through the camp and a burst of heat followed. Someone cried 'ambush' and Alucard grabbed his sword, charging out to be met with the camp in blazes. Chaos reigned and his soldiers charged against the invaders, unprepared for battle but wanting to die fighting._

_A bayonet clipped Alucard's cheek and he spun around to face the Vaticano general, a hulking blonde beast of a man, armed to the teeth. Not a word was said between the two generals as they leapt into battle, slicing and hacking away at each other with abandon. However, the Vaticano general was fully armored, and attacks that would've glanced off Alucard's armor cut deep. They fought viciously, but it was the Vaticano who struck his bayonet deep within Alucard's stomach, forcing him to his knees, then to unconsciousness._

_"Amen!!" The man cried, and, taking Alucard by the hair, began to drag him away—a spoil of war._

...Such was the story Radu told the King, Queen, and Integra when he returned from the battlefield with a few soldiers, bruised but unharmed. "He was...beheaded not seconds later. I couldn't move, I was so paralyzed with horror. What could I do?" he asked helplessly, a tear streaking down his handsome face. "They laughed as they cut him down, chanting prayers in that horrible language… but… my brother, the crown prince Vladislav, is dead."

The King gave a low noise of utter despair and buried his face in his hands, collapsing in his throne; the Queen keened weakly and bowed her head. "Another son, dead. I… We are..." 

Radu nodded solemnly, turning his watery eyes on Integra. "My dear Integra, I am… so very sorry."

 

* * *

 

 Integra wasn’t surprised to hear bad news. The first sign that something was wrong was when a letter from Alucard didn't come for a few days. He had had to skip a day now and again, but never more than one; Integra highly doubted this was due to carelessness. He was in trouble. She had retreated to her room and hid there for the rest of the day, one hand on her stomach protectively at all times. The second sign was when she got word from a messenger that the army was returning—far too early for the war to be won. Still, her heart rose in her chest with the hopes that he had returned to her. She had watched out of her window as the army—looking decidedly worse for wear—arrived outside the castle, but she couldn't see Alucard anywhere. That was the third sign.

Suddenly, she was standing in the throne room, and Radu was telling them that her husband, her mate, the father of her children, was dead. The first and most asinine thought that went through her head was that she wished Alucard were there so she could fall into his arms. She felt weak, helpless, hopeless. Then she remembered the promise he had made to her. He couldn't be dead, he couldn't be! "Prince Radu," she said, the name falling from her lips in an uncharacteristically friendly and pleasing way. She stepped forward, taking his hands. "You must have missed something; are you sure you... he can't be dead." Her eyes were wide and pleading as she looked at him.

Radu shook his head, looking pained. "I… I wish I could say I hadn't seen it at all. But I… I did. I saw those Il Vaticano bastards as they—they cut off his head, holding him by the horns as if he were cattle for slaughter—!" He broke off with a sob, pulling away to cover his eyes with his hand. "I am so—so sorry, Integra..." 

Integra inhaled sharply, turning away to hide her face. Her world felt like it was crumbling around her. Radu may have been trash, but surely he wouldn't sink so low as to lie about his only brother's death... he had seemed so broken up when Mircea died... 

The Queen dashed away her tears with a desperate inhale of breath. "Captain Victoria-Bernadotte, is this—please, tell Us this isn't true. Please," she whispered, turning to the captain with harrowed despair. 

Pip lowered his gaze and gave a weak shake of his head, clutching his broken arm to his chest. "Your Majesty, I… I cannot say for certain whether or not what Prince Radu said took place. There was indeed an ambush on our camp, and we… we did search afterward for the prince-general." His wings trembled with emotion and he looked to Integra pleadingly. "But there was no trace of him aside from his helmet! Surely they would leave the body behind and take the head if—gods forbid—he was struck down. I… I believe he may be still alive. It was dark and full of smoke—perhaps Prince Radu was mistaken." 

Radu's eyes flashed with rage for a split second at being contested and grit his teeth. "I know what I saw, soldier. Do you doubt your prince?!"

 Pip bowed his head. "No, milord. Apologies, milord."

 But Integra’s grieved mind was churning. _He can't be dead. He can't be. There was smoke, it was dark. Radu probably saw some other poor soul. Alucard is alive; he must be._ She put a hand on her stomach, feeling the fluttering of little kicks. _Your father is alive, little ones. I know it._ "And what of Il Vaticano?" she asked. "Have they claimed to have any prisoners of war?"

The King recovered enough to look up from his misery, focusing on Radu and Pip with desperate, wide eyes. "Yes! Prisoners of war—did they claim any?! They have been known to take prisoners in the past—capturing them for forced conversions, torture. He could have been taken...!" 

Pip frowned, his wings falling. "That's the trouble of it, Your Highness. There are so many dead, and Il Vaticano has claimed they have a large number of prisoners, so we haven't been able to parse out who has been truly killed or captured yet. So perhaps in time we can—"

"I know what I saw!!" Radu interrupted in a furious bark, his raised voice echoing in the chamber and tears streaming from his eyes. His wings were flared wide with aggression. "I know my brother, and my brother is dead!!" He dropped his head after his outburst and sobbed piteously, shaking his head. "I want to believe as much as you that Vladislav lives. But I know that he does not." 

The King crumpled in his throne and buried his face in his hands with a tremulous groan of agony; his great wings curled around him as if hugging himself for comfort. "Gods help me, but I believe you, Radu… Il Vaticano would not let my son live. He was a heathen in their eyes, fit only for death," he whispered, then broke down and wept.

The Queen's devastated eyes dropped and she placed a faint hand on her husband's shoulder, looking deathly pale. "We will not… We _cannot_ accept Prince Vladislav's death quite yet. Not until We are certain he is not in Il Vaticano's prisons. Gods… no, I will not give up on my son yet." She looked to Integra with pained eyes. "My darling Integra, do not despair. Have faith."

"I will not despair," said Integra strongly, looking up at her mother-in-law, her hand still on her stomach. "My husband made a promise to me, to my children. He will be coming back; I know he will. Il Vaticano will keep him alive, if he hasn't escaped them already." She smiled darkly. "And if they do have them, well, I know better than anyone that nothing they can do could match what we survived together. He will be back, that is certain." She turned to Radu and softened her gaze. "Radu, we can't lose hope just yet. Please, just have faith for a little longer. For Vladislav."

Radu returned Integra's gaze with an indecipherable expression before he dropped his head and sighed, looking away. "I cannot stop you from dreaming, even if they are empty dreams, my dear." He murmured. 

The Queen gave a curt nod and a weak smile to her daughter-in-law, a tear slipping from her eye despite her best efforts. "Yes… yes, you are right. Vladislav will keep his promises; he will return to Us, to you, and his children, of that We have no doubt. He would fight his way past every demon in hell to be at your side," she replied determinedly, her voice gaining a little bit of her signature composure and strength. After shutting her eyes for a moment, the Queen rose from her throne. "In the meantime, however, we are in need of a general to take his place in the battle against Il Vaticano." Her smile sharpened, a familiar bloodthirsty fire filling her eyes. "It has been many years since We took up our battleaxe, and We are eager to bathe it in blood once more."

Radu looked up in shock at his mother. "Mother, you can't be serious! You haven't fought for—for decades! You won't last a day against Il Vaticano's forces!!"

The King met his wife's icy eyes and, after a moment, sighed in defeat. "Radu… your mother has lost none of her strength in the years. I can think of no better general to lead us in Sir Integra and Vladislav's absence," he admitted with a tremulous, teary smile.

The Queen returned the expression with power in her gaze. She looked back to Integra and nodded. "As you said, my darling daughter… have faith in Us, and in Vladislav. We will not allow your children to grow without a family."

Integra nodded, smiling at her in fondness despite the fact that the feeling of dread still haunted her. "Good hunting, Your Majesty," she said, bowing as much as she could with her swollen stomach.

 

* * *

 

Two agonizing weeks later, a messenger came riding in on horseback at a breakneck speed. Integra happened to see her from the window, and immediately went downstairs to meet her at the door. "I have a message from the battlefield, for the royal family," the messenger said. She was avoiding Integra's gaze, and Integra knew what she was going to say. 

Still, she said, "Well, speak then." 

The messenger looked up, her eyes filled with remorse. "The Queen-General is dead. Slain in battle."

Tears filled Integra's eyes before she could stop them. She nodded at the messenger in thanks. "I'll inform the rest of the family," she said, her voice hollow. _Alucard, where are you? I can't do this on my own. Where are you?_

Radu and the King sat in the throne room, quietly discussing the matter of what to do in the event that Vladislav did not return. The King was haggard, sick from grief and worry, his black hair streaked with gray and looking far older than his sixty-five years. Radu, however, looked almost radiant in comparison; he was the picture of calm and commanding, as if sapping away his father's strength.

The two men looked up at Integra's approach, one with fear in his face—the other, smug. The King rose from his seat as soon as he saw the tears in Integra's eyes, paled horribly, and collapsed back into his chair with a wheezing groan of despair. "No… no, please, Integra… I felt the stabbing in my neck, but I thought it couldn't be… but it is… oh, my Irina… my pearl..." he rasped, burying his head in his hands and moaned like a wounded animal. "No..."

Radu looked to Integra with his eyebrows knitted in grief. "Is it true? My mother too is...?" 

"Father," Integra said in grief as she stepped forward. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." The tears escaped her eyes as she clutched her stomach. If the Queen didn't come back, then surely Alucard was... _No. He can't be dead. I refuse to believe it._ "Yes, Prince Radu," she said, looking up at him. "She perished in battle with Il Vaticano." 

Radu shook his head, placing a hand over his eyes to hide the grimace on his red lips that looked almost like a smile. "My poor mother...I knew she wouldn't last on the battlefield, she was far too old...and if she is gone, then there is no hope for Vladislav. No hope at all..." He whispered miserably, his wings trembling with emotion. "We must surrender to Il Vaticano before they march on our capitol and kill the lot of us."

"Surrender?" said Integra indignantly, but before she could respond further the King seemed to lose all of his health at once.

He gave another weakened moan, then a gargled intake of breath and clutched his heart. "I—no… Irina!!" He stammered, his face draining of colour before he suddenly went limp in his seat, his red eyes rolling back into his head. His great wings fell askew, completely boneless.

 Radu leapt to his feet. "Father!! Oh gods, he's—I need to get the doctor! Integra, stay with him, see if you can get anything out of him to see what's the matter!!" he cried, fleeing the room and running for the door. He grabbed the first attendant he saw and gave them a shove. "You! Get the doctor, the King has taken ill!!" He rushed back to his father's side, falling to his knee as he took his hand. "Father—?!"

A moment later the King drew in a choked breath and grasped weakly at his son and daughter-in-law's hands.

"Father!" Integra said in shock, running to take his hand and kneeling before him. "Please, save your strength. Everything will be alright, please. Mother... Mother would want you to take care of yourself. So would Vladislav."

"Is he breathing?" said Dr. Trevelyan, running in with a bag of medical supplies. He noted the king's disposition and sighed in relief. "Thank the gods. I heard the news." He looked solemn as well; he had always held the Queen and King in high regard. "Your Majesty, can you hear me?"

The King shook his head weakly, his heavy eyes barely opening and focusing on Integra even after great effort. "No...no, they are gone… I go to meet them soon, my son, my mate… not long now," he wheezed, his wings trembling with the difficulty of speaking. His eyes trailed slowly over to Dr. Trevelyan and he sighed, the exhale sounding cracked and painful. "Doctor, there… no medic… cure for a broken… without Irina..." He shook his head listlessly, squeezing Integra's hand and letting his eyes fall shut. "Let me die." 

"Oh, Father, please," said Integra tearfully, squeezing his hand. "Not you too, please, I can't...."

Dr. Trevelyan sighed, putting his bag down and walking towards Integra, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Sir Integra, I'm afraid he's right. Losing a mate can be... well." He paused, realizing his explanation might be hitting too close to home. "It can be life-ending, especially for someone of his age. He's lost his will to live. There's nothing more we can do for him now." 

"Oh, God," said Integra softly, looking at the dying King.

Radu's eyes spilled over with tears, clutching his hands to his chest as he watched his father fade away. "But Father, your will! Without Vladislav and Mother, who will take the crown?" he asked, edging away from the scene with horror in his eyes. The dying man seemed to repulse him rather than inspire his pity.

Drawing in another rasping breath, the King shook his head. "Radu, you… and Integ..." He broke off to give a weak, desperate cough, his clammy hands spasming and growing colder around Integra's. His eyes were beginning to roll back again. "Heirs, you must, new… ohh, my Irina… how beautiful..." His voice trailed off and a great sigh left his body. He was still breathing, but faintly, and his skin was uncommonly pale. Death was coming to him soon.

Integra’s expression turned from grief to confusion as she gently let go of the King’s hand, turning to look at the other two men in the room. "What is he talking about?" As she spoke, the Doctor's attendants came into the room and gently lifted the King onto a stretcher, leading him up towards his room. 

Radu shook his head despairingly, wiping away his tears with his thumbs. "I… I think I have an idea of what he was trying to say..." he admitted quietly as the King was led out of the room, watching his retreating figure. As soon as he was gone, he turned to Integra with a completely altered expression—not a tear to be seen in his eye, and a smug smile on his lips. In fact, he looked almost triumphant.

"In fact, we were just speaking about it before you interrupted us.  See, I even managed to get it in writing!" the prince said candidly, as if talking about the weather. He went to the desk and took up a sheath of papers. "In the event of no further valid heirs born of living, royal Tepes blood, the kingdom of Wallachia shall bow its knee to one King Radu Constantin Tepes, and at the death of his brother Prince Vladislav Alucard Tepes, he shall take his widowed mate upon his care in holy matrimony to ensure the bond between kingdoms Britannia and Wallachia," he read from the paper, smiling wider all the while. He chuckled as he looked up to face Integra. "You have no idea how hard it was to convince my mother not to give you sole power as reigning Queen and kick me out of the crown's power entirely. The old bat really did hate me, for some reason… Hm, more's the pity. Luckily Father saw sense." He tapped the paper against his lips, his eyes narrowing. "Am I wrong, Doctor Trevelyan? I just know I'll be accused of lying by my new wife."

Integra's mouth had dropped open in horror. "You can't... this can't..." She looked wildly at Doctor Trevelyan.

The Doctor sighed. Inside he was fuming; he had delivered Radu into this world, and knew from almost the beginning that the boy was bad news. Now he was the King, and would be forcing the beloved Britannian princess to marry him. _Repulsive._ "You are absolutely right, Your Majesty," he said, bowing deeply. "Queen Integra, you are legally bound in matrimony with King Radu." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, everyone! thank you for reading another chapter of LotB!
> 
> I'd just like to add this note now, just to save time. Yes, this chapter is a dramatic turn of several events. As stated at the beginning, this fic is the result of an RP. RPs are dramatic. This fic could arguably be called melodramatic. That's kind of just how it is. It's soap opera-esque. If that bothers you, that's totally fair! Our plot is certainly not for everyone! 
> 
> However, I'd like to politely ask you all to PLEASE be kind in the comments section, and on tumblr as well. Gwen and I are proud of this fic, but we're also very sensitive about our work, as are most artists. It's fine if you don't like our fic, but it might not be productive to tell us that point blank. We are totally open for questions and constructive criticism, but statements like "It doesn't seem realistic" aren't really super helpful, u know? 
> 
> (side note: we are, after all, basing this fic off of Hellsing. The manga where everyone dies at the end and a vampire eats a city. Realism was kind of thrown out the window by Hirano) 
> 
> Not to mention that things aren't always as they seem in LotB... certain bad things might not be entirely truthful ;) 
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading once again! We love how much buzz this fic has gotten and we're very happy with it!
> 
> Lastly: fucccccck radu!!!!!!!!!!!!! slam dunk him into the trash!!!!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Integra turned towards Dr. Trevelyan, her face a tableau of panic. "Doctor, I... he'll kill them. He's going to kill my children."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> helloooo! long time no see! THIS STORY AIN'T OVER YET!

"Preposterous!" said Integra, stepping back. "I have the heirs! I have the heirs right here!" she said, touching her stomach once more. "And I can't marry Radu because I'm already married!"

"They are not living yet, Your Majesty," replied Dr. Trevelyan. "And your husband..." He looked at Radu and sighed. "Your husband is dead."

"He isn't!" shouted Integra immediately, turning to glare at Radu. "You bastard! How dare you?"

Radu gave a short chuckle at Dr. Trevelyan's confirmation and Integra's ensuing anger, his sharp purple eyes narrowing further as he smirked. "Is that any way to speak to your husband, darling?" he teased, setting the damning papers back onto the table and crossing his arms behind his back. "Well, chin up, chickadee; you're Queen of Wallachia now. We'll soon have those little illegitimate bastards out of you and some proper, valid heirs to replace them, won't we? It's so unsightly of you to be carrying a dead man's children...”

Integra turned, noticing the guards around them in the throne room. She realized that if she spoke too much out of turn... But it became very hard to hold her tongue when he insulted her children. "They're not bastards," she said through gritted teeth, putting her hands protectively around her middle. "They were conceived in wedlock."

Radu smiled sweetly and turned to take a seat in the chair his father had just been taken from, folding one leg over the other as if he was sitting in a throne, before continuing his sentence. “...and he _is_ dead, let me assure you. If both my parents believed it, it's high time you do, too, my dove."

Integra ground her teeth before visibly flinching. "Don't call me that," she said immediately.

“Oh?” Radu raised an amused eyebrow at Integra's visible flinch and defensive retort before he gave a tilt of his head, as if considering Integra's condition with clinical disdain. "A shame that after you rid yourself of the little parasites that you won't be able to go into heat for at least another year and a half—oh, wait! Isn't it true that Britannians are fertile all times of the year, Doctor?" he asked with a grin, his pale purple eyes lit with almost childish excitement.

Dr. Trevelyan sighed, looking at Integra apologetically. "It is indeed true, Your Majesty," he said. "But I would suggest waiting a little after her first pregnancy; she will be busy nursing her new children and nesting, and an exhausted mother will not be as receptive to a new pregnancy."

As the doctor spoke, Radu’s smile widened into a grin that displayed his fangs that somehow enhanced his handsome features. "So it wouldn't be a problem if there were no children to nurse or fuss over, yes? Hm." He hummed, resting his chin on his hand. "You know, I've heard Wallachia has such a high infant mortality rate compared to Britannia...why, in my nest, I was the only one that survived past a year! Poor departed Vladislav in his nest, too...though he was the runt of the litter. I suppose that frail blood is in your bastards' veins, so it wouldn't be too far-fetched to say they won't last long, would it? My poor dove.”

Dr. Trevelyan's eyes widened. "I... I suppose, Your Majesty," he said slowly.

_He is not going to let them survive_ , Integra realized, clutching her stomach desperately. _Even if I manage to give birth without Alucard. If I don't do something, he's going to kill my children._ “I told you to stop calling me that!”

Radu chuckled at her futile gesture of protection for her unborn children and uncrossed his legs, his eyes narrowing shrewdly. "You're my wife, aren't you? You're Britannian, aren't you? So I'll call you what I like." He got to his feet and brushed out his robes, still smiling. "I wasn't joking when I said Wallachia is overrun with barbarians when we first met, my dove—as King, I intend to civilize the lot of them. Take a page out of Britannia's book, so to speak. Yes, I'll be looking into that alliance a bit more… my parents neglected it terribly. I believe I'll start by surrendering Rhineland to Il Vaticano control; no sense in wasting our resources on such a savage practice. It's time for an intellectual to take the reigns of the Wallachian warhorse."

He sighed, fluttering his wings as he passed by Integra. "So much to be done. Doctor, call upon me the moment my father passes. I want to make my speech to surrender as soon as possible. And you, my darling Integra… don't succumb to despair and waste away before we have an heir to replace you, hm?" With that, he took the papers from the table and left the room, forcing his expression into one of mourning as he reappeared in the public eye.

There was a hushed silence in the courtroom, as the guards followed Radu. Then, Integra finally spoke.

"His wife," she said through gritted teeth, her fists clenched so hard that her nails dug into her palms. "His obedient, Britannian wife." She turned towards Dr. Trevelyan, her face a tableau of panic. "Doctor, I... he'll kill them. He's going to kill my children."

Dr. Trevelyan shook his head in disgust. He had seen plenty of despicable behavior in his time as the royal family's private doctor, but Radu's outshined them in terms of selfish, unapologetic cruelty. He adjusted his glasses and turned to Integra, his expression apologetic but firm as he waited for the guards to leave the room after Radu.

"Sir Integra...for saying what I am about to say next, I could be killed for treason. But I cannot let this stand," he said in a low, quiet voice, placing a hand on Integra's shoulder. "As a man of medicine and one loyal to the crown, I cannot and will not allow your children, the rightful heirs to the throne, to be killed before they have even a chance at life. I promise you this." He thought a moment, and lowered his voice to near a whisper. "I have a plan. It's risky, but it may be the only way. I doubt Prince Radu—I'm sorry, I cannot call him my King—will allow me to assist in your labor at the conclusion of your eighth month, so perhaps… if I were to induce labor earlier than natural for you but around the time Captain Victoria-Bernadotte's labor and, if all goes well, the surviving children could be passed off as the Captain's nest of fledglings, larger than normal but still plausible." He frowned. "If you were to keep the children as yours, there is no doubt in my mind that Prince Radu would see to their demise. I wish it were not so, but..."

Integra stumbled forward to hug the man tightly as she could with her swollen belly. "Thank you," she whispered, shaking in his arms. "Oh, Doctor, I cannot thank you enough. I will do anything to ensure my children's safety, anything. Even… even if it means giving them up. I am sure that Seras will take good care of them."

 

 

* * *

 

"Of course I will," said Seras, later in the day when Integra went to visit her chambers. She was lying curled up with Pip in their nest, being careful not to hurt his broken arm, but had immediately sat up and started wiping her eyes furiously when she heard the news. "Oh, Integra... how dreadful. That dreadful prick... I won't let him hurt you."

"You must leave him be," Integra said, holding a hand up. "Seras, simply taking my children is going to be a risk on both you and Pip's lives. I won't have you risking anything else."

"I... I understand," said Seras tearfully. "I just... oh, Integra, I wish he'd come back."

"He will," said Integra gruffly. "I know he will."

Pip was similarly agreeable to Dr. Trevelyan's plan, nodding determinedly. "Sir Integra, it would be an honor. I wish… well, I wish you didn't have to give them up, but we'll take care of them like our own, of course… until Prince Vladislav returns." He smiled weakly and rubbed Seras's arm to soothe her tears, tucking a wing around her shoulders. "He's a stubborn man and he's looking forward to seeing his children more than anything in the world—he wouldn't stop talking about them in the camps, all day and every day! About what their hair would look like, whose eyes they'd have, helping them take their first steps…"

Integra smiled ruefully at Pip's description of Alucard. "I can picture it," she said. "That idiot is more baby crazy than I am."

“So I'm certain he'll be back before you know it,” Pip concluded. “He doesn't want to miss a thing when it comes to you and your fledgelings. “He kissed Seras's soft blonde hair and sighed. "If only that fucker Radu had died in battle..."

Integra sighed. "If only. It doesn't make sense that Radu came back and Alucard... well. I can't imagine he was fully participating in the fight like my husband was."

Pip snorted. "He was cowering at every gunshot and whimpering like a child to go home before every battle, believe me."

Integra nodded as she rubbed her stomach absentmindedly. The thought didn't even make her smile. "At the very least, you came back, Captain Victoria-Bernadotte," she said happily. "Seeing you together saddens me, but also brings me great joy."

Seras sighed, hugging Pip tighter. "My lady—"

"No need for apologies," said Integra, holding up her hand. "Be happy, and raise my children well. That is all I am asking of you."

Pip sat up, too. He placed his good arm around Seras's waist and hugged her close, brushing his fingers absently over her rounded stomach. The prospect of raising two nests-full of children was daunting, but if it would save the offspring of his friends and monarchs, he would do his utmost. "Thank you for saying so. As I said, we'll raise them as we would our own, and they'll want for nothing if I can help it,” he said seriously before his smile returned, somewhat more light-hearted than before. "And please, milady, just call me Pip. I'm going to be changing your children's diapers; I think it's only fitting you use my first name.”

Integra smiled at him, although her smile was rueful at the thought that this man— _how dare he, her instincts screamed, how dare he take my children, care for my children, they're mine, they're—_ "Fine, then. Pip." She sighed, looking enviously at them cuddled together.

“By the way,” Seras said softly, “Did Dr. Trevelyan talk about what he'll be doing for easing your labor if Prince Vladislav doesn't… well, if he can't be there in time?"

Integra nodded, though her heart hurt at the idea of going into labor without Alucard. "He did. Briefly. Without a mate to scent or drink blood from, it will be very painful. And much more dangerous. He did say I could find someone to surrogate, but the thought of finding some stranger..." She wrinkled her nose at the thought.

Seras frowned. "Does... does it have to be a stranger?" she said thoughtfully.

"Seras, don't be ridiculous," said Integra immediately. "You'll be giving birth, too."

Pip smoothed his palm down Seras's downy wing, scratching gently at the outer feathers as he considered Integra's words. He frowned, adjusting his broken arm in its sling, and sighed. "But, milady, she has a point. Aside from Prince Vladislav, Seras is the person closest to you here… I mean, I could..." He trailed off, looking a little queasy at the idea of sharing his blood with anyone aside from his mate; he respected Integra and certainly wanted her safety, but the practice of biting was something intimate, only to be shared with a trusted mate. "I don't want to overstep my bounds with this, but if it's… well, if you go into labor soon enough after Seras, with her scent and my blood full of easing hormones already, you could… I guess we could sort of step in as surrogates. It's not your mate, but we're not strangers, either, so… I just wanted to put the idea out there." He finished lamely, shrugging his shoulders and wincing when it stung his broken arm.

Seras smiled at her mate, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I love you," she murmured, lightly touching his broken arm soothingly. "You beautiful, brilliant, kind man."

Grinning at his mate's praise, Pip nuzzled her cheek with his stubbly one and purred softly. "Mmh, I love you more," He cooed, "my gorgeous, sweet, generous, darling Seras… growing more beautiful every day..." He kissed the mark on her neck and then peppered her cheeks with kisses, unable to help himself from lavishing adoration on his wife.

"Growing fatter every day!" protested Seras, giggling and purring as he kissed her.

Integra flushed, looking away from the two of them. She was overwhelmed by their generosity, but also overwhelmed and heartbroken by their love. "I... It's probably a good idea," she said brusquely. "Dr. Trevelyan was trying to be optimistic, but he did seem to think it would halve my and the children's chances of survival if I didn't have a source of blood or a scent. I may die, but I am not allowing my children to die."

Pip cleared his throat and drew back a little, looking sheepish before sobering up. "I, er… yes, unfortunately, that sounds about right. I've heard Wallachian labor can either be a breeze or a death sentence—it really can depend on the mate's involvement in the whole thing." He frowned, raising his gaze to meet Integra's. "But I think our plan will work. You've got a good nest full of his scent and some hormone-full blood on hand, so I wouldn't count on dying just yet, milady. It's far from ideal, I know, but it's… it'll have to do until the Prince returns."

Seras smiled at her lady. "Yes, when the time comes it will all be fine. You're the strongest woman I've ever known, my lady. You'll be fine until he returns."

Integra mirrored her smile. "Yes, until he returns." She sighed. "It's been a while since I've been back to the nest. I can't thank you both enough for all you've done, and will do. Thank you."

Pip nodded in agreement with his mate's statement, giving Integra an encouraging smile. "You're welcome, milady. It's the least we can do," He assured her, "keep your health up and everything will be fine."

Integra nodded and headed back across the halls, looking forward to curling up in Alucard's feathers and smelling his shirts.

As soon as the princess left the room, Pip gave a deep sigh and rested his head atop Seras's, rubbing her rounded belly absentmindedly to calm himself and her. "Gods, I don't know how she's even standing… I wouldn't know what to do if I lost you for even a day," he mumbled into her hair, breathing in deep lungfuls of her sweet, flowery scent. "It's selfish, but I'm so glad I got to come home to you."

Seras sighed, nuzzling against Pip's head desperately. "I would be broken," she said, her tears coming back again as she inhaled Pip's earthy, smoky scent. "I thank God you came home every day. Oh God, Pip, I hope she's ok. She has to be ok. They both have to be ok."

"Oh, sweetheart," Pip tucked his wings closer around Seras, ducking to kiss and nuzzle at her cheeks with a sympathetic sigh. "Sir Integra is strong, and so is Prince Vladislav. She survived two weeks of the Rhinelander's torture, and she'll be able to survive this, too."

"Yes, exactly!" said Seras, her tears spilling over. "She survived that torture; she shouldn't have to survive anything else.”

Pip hummed as he slipped a hand under her shirt so as to place his palm directly on her stomach, rubbing it soothingly; he found skin-to-skin contact was usually a surefire way to calm Seras down from tears recently. "Shh, now, love. Let's not worry too much. We've got to focus on you, too, no?"

“But, I, I—" began Seras, before she broke off and sighed as she felt his cool skin against hers. "Yes, alright. We can focus on me. And them," she added, looking down at her stomach. "Let's not forget about them. "

“Yes, them,” Pip said as he gave a small smile at her words and smoothed his scarred palm over her warm, pale skin, slightly pink with a healthy glow. His smile widened at the faint stirring underneath. "Of course, I could never forget about these little chickies. How many do you suppose there are now that you're further along? I still say two."

Seras hummed, squirming as the babies began kicking again. "It's three, Pip. There are three of them." She sighed. "If anyone took them away from me, I'd never forgive myself..."

Pip smiled, wanting more than ever to put both arms around Seras; as it was, he could only nuzzle against her hair and kiss her cheek. "If you say so, love, I'm inclined to believe you. But your three and Sir Integra's three… that's gonna be a lot of fledgelings to look after." He whistled lowly at the thought before resting his head against Seras's. "But not a single one of them is gonna get taken away from you, Seras. I'm not going to let anything happen to ours or Sir Integra's, I promise."

"I know, I know," said Seras shaking her head. "Six fledgelings... we're going to be positively exhausted, Captain. But what I meant was that I can't imagine how Integra is feeling. Obviously she's grateful, but we're also taking her children away from her. She must be resenting us for that..."

Pip brushed his feathers comfortingly against Seras's arm while he continued to rub at her belly under her blouse. He frowned, pausing for a moment before continuing to soothe his mate. "I hadn't thought of it like that… I couldn't blame her if she did feel that way, either. It's not like we're strangers, but being so close to your kids and not being able to actually take care of them yourself? Sounds gut-wrenching. I'd be pissed off at us, too, even if we are trying to help." He gently nudged Seras's side, indicating wordlessly that he wanted to lie down and cuddle; the very thought of having his fledgelings taken away made him shudder and seek physical reassurance from his mate. "I'd be more pissed off at Radu, obviously, but… yeah.”

Seras sighed again, lying down and nuzzling into Pip's side. "Well. Vladislav will be back soon; everything will be alright."

“Yeah, Vladislav will come back soon,” Pip said with a nod. “Any day now."

 

* * *

 

"Integra darling! Where might you be waddling off to?" Radu's velvety voice called from the other side of the hall; he strode quickly to Integra's side and put an arm around her waist, smiling.

Integra stopped dead in her tracks when her brother-in-law turned husband's horrible voice called out to her. She shuddered, fighting the urge to struggle out of his embrace.

"Our royal suite isn't down that way, silly girl,” Radu continued. “They've already begun clearing things out of my parents' bedroom for us; they should be done by the fortnight. Did I tell you my father finally passed just an hour ago? Dreadfully sad, dying of grief like that." He squeezed her hip, digging his nails in like a pinch and making her wince. "I certainly hope you're not thinking of bunkering down in that smelly room of yours."

"I wasn't aware you would be so eager to move into the room of your recently deceased parents, Radu," Integra replied evenly. "Did you at least stay with your father when he died?"

“I was with my father to his very last minute in this world,” Radu said proudly. “But I am looking forward to using that massive bed my parents were always so stingy about sharing. I hope that delightful mattress is still there after the servants clear out their things."

Integra placed a hand over his and digging her own nails in. "I need to nest. For my own health. It's mandatory," she reminded him passive-aggressively. Truthfully, she only needed to spend a few hours in her nest a day, but she was eager to escape her new tyrant.

Radu’s nose wrinkled with discomfort as Integra dug her nails into his hand and he yanked away, looking irked. He pursed his red lips. "I see. Well, don't expect to sleep in your nest by yourself like some kind of weeping widow. I still expect you to join me in our quarters in the evenings—after you bathe, of course. The smell coming from that nest is rank to me, my dove."

Integra flinched again at the nickname—God damn him for realizing how much it upset her. "I..." she began, attempting to think of a way to argue against his request. She came up with nothing. "Fine," she said flatly, looking away from him. "I will join you." She looked towards her and Alucard's chambers, eager for him to let her go.

Smiling smugly at Integra's expression of despair, Radu brushed his fingers against Integra's cheek to turn her back to him. "Ah, ah! Where's my goodbye kiss?" he cooed, trailing his fingers down her throat. "We are husband and wife, after all. It's only customary."

Integra's eyes widened at the request, before she batted away Radu's hand. "That's too far, you bastard," she growled, stepping back from him. "We may supposedly be married, but I am not about to show you any sort of affection. So pathetic of you to have to ask for it from a woman who obviously loathes you. Go find a whore, if any of them will take your money. I will not be the hapless puppy to your bullying child."

Radu raised a sculpted eyebrow as Integra swatted him away. "Oh? Such fire coming from my Britannian wife! I'm not sure if I like it." He chuckled, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I've already found my whore. I give you a month, maybe two without your bastard children before you come crawling to me for a scrap of affection or remembrance of my dear departed brother." He said cooly, his smile turning smug. "But you can pretend otherwise if you like. As soon as your heat comes, you'll be begging for me just like you did a year ago."

"I couldn't give less of a fuck if you like it," snapped Integra, "And you will never call me your whore again, or insult my children. I'd rather turn to a Rhinelander for affection, and you are nothing like your brother. Nothing. By the time my heat comes, Vladislav will be back and you will be dead. I highly suggest starting to pray for forgiveness from the gods now; best to get a head start on these things." And with that, she turned and walked the rest of the way to her nest.

Radu's eyebrows rose even higher, both affronted and amused by Integra's rebellion against him. "Well. We'll see about that, won't we?" he mused, shaking his head with a chuckle as she slammed the door to her room. Truly, he could see the appeal that his brother held for her; that didn’t change the fact that her rebellion was hardly attractive in a woman But even if she had been tainted by Wallachia's ways, he had faith that, in time, she'd regress back into her home country's culture out of sheer isolation. Perhaps having her children taken from her would mellow her out, though he doubted it. It would take time, but Radu was nothing if not patient. He had outlasted all his family, after all. "All the more fun, I suppose," he mumbled to himself.

Integra finally made it back to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her and crawling onto the bed. She shook with anger and fear and grief; even taking one of Alucard's shirts and inhaling into it wasn't helping. _Come back, baby, please,_ she begged him in her head. _I need you here._

She lay in her nest for a while, napping and staving off tears. When it began to grow dark, she went down to the kitchens to get a snack before going back up to her room to bathe in the hot spring bath. She needed the comfort it brought, even if it felt wrong bathing without Alucard. Then she realized why she was bathing, and decided to bathe in the cold one instead; she didn't want to have to scrub off Alucard's scent in the bath they often made love in.

When she was finished bathing, she dressed in pajamas and slippers. After a moment of thought, she slipped a dagger into her pants pocket and made her way to the chambers so recently occupied by the dead Wallachian monarchs. The idea of being Queen was so foreign to her that she couldn't accept it. She knocked on the door softly before heading in, hoping Radu would send her away.

Radu glanced up as Integra came into the bedroom, genuinely surprised at her obedience to his order; he had been expecting her to stubbornly sleep in her nest and have to send guards to drag her down the hall to his chambers. He set aside his glass of wine and his book and sat up with a grin. "Well hello," he cooed, his wings flaring out with coquettish seduction. "And good evening. So nice of you to join me. You look positively delicious, still damp from your shower." His nose wrinkled and he chuckled. "A shame you're so bloated with dead man's children. It really is quite unseemly..."

Integra grimaced at his flattery, looking away from him in disgust. Her wings flapped sharply once under her shawl. She didn't know what made her angrier; his horrible seduction or his continued insults of her children. "Save it," she snapped. "The only saving grace of this night is that the bed is big enough so that there's no possible way we'll have to touch."

Radu sniffed, smirking at her expression of disgust. "Charming," he chuckled, not bothering to withdraw his sizable wingspan just for spite. "But I'm not so sure about that; I like to keep my wings spread out while I sleep. You can take the left side of the bed if you'd like, but don't blame me if you fall off in the night." He reached over to finish off his glass of wine and sighed contentedly, pulling the blankets up over his bare abdomen. "This is my bed first and foremost, after all."

Integra looked down at the bed with a scowl, noting how Radu's impressive wingspan took up most of the bed. As she moved to go under the covers, her eyes widened in shock as she realized that Radu was completely naked. "For the love of..." she began hissing, before realizing her dismay would only excite him. She debated staying above the covers, but realized she didn't want to endanger her children by catching a cold, or worse. With shaking arms, she lowered herself into the bed, turning to face away from him and keeping note of where her dagger was.

She sighed as she realized she was in an eerily similar scenario to the one she had been a year ago. Funny how things changed. That seemed like nothing compared to her current situation. Even Rhineland, with all of its horrors, at least had Alucard.

Radu's smirk widened into a fanged grin as Integra realized his state of undress under the covers. "Comfy?" He asked with a chuckle before stretching his wings so that they pushed against Integra's back. He sighed contentedly. "Also, just letting you know: I steal the covers. So if you get cold… tough luck, I suppose. Survival of the fittest." He tucked the blankets around himself and snuggled into the decadent pillows with a huff of delight. He had been thinking of making a move tonight, but the idea of having sex with a pregnant person made him feel ill. _She'll probably miscarry from Vlad being away soon, anyhow. I just have to be patient_.

Integra didn't dignify that question with a response, only shuddered and bit her lip when his wings pressed against hers. She refused to allow him to hear her moan, despite the fact that it had been such a long time since her wings had felt any touch at all. She pressed her wings around herself so that they weren't brushing his, inching closer to the edge of the bed. "How princely of you," she growled, trying to get comfortable in an environment that she felt aggressively unsafe in.

She managed to go to sleep eventually. But when she did, she had that dream again, the dream that had occasionally plagued her since she became pregnant. In it, she was shrieking and pained in her labor, trying to push out her children. But instead of comfortable in her nest, she was restrained to the cold hard floor, and the pigman was laughing at her as she managed to give birth to not one, not two, but what seemed like a million children. All of them were horrifying little piglets with her silver wings, and she screamed as she saw them.

She managed to jerk herself out of her sleep, gasping and reaching out for Alucard as she always did. When she felt a cold body on the bed, she imagined he would take her and wrap her in his arms and wings again, making her feel safe.

Radu was shaken from his dream of having bucket after bucket of wine poured over his head by a group of faceless shadow-people when a warm hand began clutching at his feathers and sobbing his brother's name. He grunted awake, clumsily tugging his wing away as he sat up, the pile of stolen blankets pooling around his trim waist. "What in the blazes are you doing...?" He growled, glaring blearily at the weeping woman in his bed. He could think of nothing but how early he had to get up this morning and how Integra was cutting back the amount of sleep he would get with her nonsense. "If you're going to make such a fuss, go...go sleep in your own room." He waved her away with a limp hand and flopped back into the pillows. "I can't deal with this right now..."

"What?" gasped Integra, recoiling as if she had been burned. "Alu..." Then she realized where she was and how she was with, and stiffened, wiping away her tears angrily. She was frightened from her nightmare, grieved by the fact that her husband was still presumed dead, and furious at how she had shown such weakness in front of Radu. "Yes. Fine," she said, grateful at the dismissal. She made sure to put one hand on her pocket to keep the knife from falling out as she awkwardly left the room, sniffling quietly.

The hallways were dark and lonely, and made her skin crawl. She had to resist running to her nest; when she finally reached it, she crawled into it and buried her face in the feathers, inhaling Alucard's ever-fading smell. _It was just a dream. I'm not having that monster's children. And I won't be having Radu's either. Just Alucard's. Only Alucard._

 

* * *

The months dragged on for the kingdom of Wallachia as their new King first surrendered Rhineland to Il Vaticano, then immediately reached out to repair relations with the cloistered kingdom and even began to implement their religion into many Wallachian temples; these cowardly measures were largely unpopular with Wallachians, but any dissidence was swiftly and quietly crushed with the Royal Family's private police force as opposed to the previous King and Queen's conspicuous executions. However, King Radu's policies were widely accepted in Britannia, whom the King sought to impress by adopting their ways. As corruption rose, the mood of the central castle became more and more toxic for those that had been loyal to the 'Lost Prince'.

If it hadn't been for the fact that he didn't want to be eaten alive by the Royal Family's warhounds and for his very pregnant wife's sake, Pip would've gone looking for Prince Vladislav himself. But as it was, the King kept him on a tight leash, knowing where he and Seras's loyalties lay—and he knew any misstep could mean disaster for he and his family. After a long day of parading his troops around the nearby villages in a display of pomp and power, Pip was exhausted and frustrated, looking forward to doing nothing more than having dinner and curling up with Seras.

Meanwhile, Seras was happily languishing in her nest, Integra sitting near the door. The new and miserable Queen of Wallachia preferred to either spend her time in her nest or in the Captain's’ chambers; they were where she felt safest.

On this day, the two were trying to make small talk when Seras's eyes suddenly widened and she clapped a hand to her stomach. " _Ow_ ," she said, voice sounding incredibly strained.

Integra immediately stood with some difficulty—as she was very pregnant herself. "Seras?" she said. "What is it? Is there something wrong? Are you... is it labor?" 

Seras nodded, looking at her Queen with panic. "Yes," she said immediately. "I need... Pip, where's Pip, I need him—" She cut off and groaned with relief as Pip came in the door. "Pip!" she said in panic, hand still on her stomach. "It's... they're..." 

"She's in labor," said Integra quickly in explanation.

"What?" Pip's eye went almost comically wide and he flung his helmet aside as he bolted to Seras's side, grabbing her hand tightly in both of his. "What—when did—just now? The labour started just now and they're coming?" he asked in a rush, his wings close against his back and fluffed with panic. He looked over his mate quickly, biting his lip as he tried to reign in his fear.

"Okay, okay, that's okay. We're prepared for this, there's me, there's you, there's a nest, so it's okay! We just need...doctor..." Taking in a deep breath, he turned to Integra. "Milady, I—I can't leave her. I physically can't. Can you grab an attendant from the hall, should be a maid making the rounds, and tell her to get the doctor? Quickly—please,” he requested pleadingly, his hands still clutching Seras's. He turned back to Seras with a lopsided smile. "I have a feeling these little ones are going to be here soon." _  
_

"Pip, calm down," said Seras, but her eyes were still wide as she squeezed his hands. "I... I know, I'm breathing and stuff, I'm good..."

Pip nodded enthusiastically, climbing into the nest with Seras and stroking her wings, cheeks, and hair with nervous energy. "Yes, good! Breathing is good; keep doing that, sweetheart," he encouraged, settling himself behind his mate and curving his wings around her sides like a second embrace.

Integra almost smiled at how panicked they both were. It was endearing, in a bittersweet way. She knew she would not be having such a pure experience with her own birth, especially now that she would be giving birth in the next day or so and Alucard had yet to show up. "Of course," she said to Pip, turning to head quickly out the door and tell the nearest maid that the Captain was about to give birth. The maid went running off, and Integra waddled back in. "The doctor should be on his way very soon."

"Oh, Pip," moaned Seras, putting a hand on her stomach. "It... it's starting to really hurt..."

After a distracted thanks and a taut smile for Integra, Pip nuzzled under Seras's chin and put his hand over hers on her stomach, completely enraptured in taking care of his mate. His entire being seemed to change now that he was settled in their nest with his arms around his mate; his shoulders relaxed and his voice turned smooth as a slight, soothing purr sounded from his chest. "Shh, baby, it's okay, it won't hurt for very long. Here, put your face by my neck and breathe deep...the doctor will be here soon." He nuzzled her hair, purring a little louder. "He'll see if it's time to give you some blood, make the pain go away..."

Seras sighed in satisfaction and began to purr back. "Yes, alright," she said serenely, kissing her mark on his neck. "That sounds nice..." 

Integra watched the scene, biting her lip. Her heart and body ached for similar attention, for similar lulling. How was she supposed to do this alone?

Dr. Trevelyan appeared in the doorway, knocking once to announce his presence and cautiously approaching the couple with his briefcase of equipment. "Good evening, Princess Integra, Captains Victoria-Bernadotte. I heard some fledglings are on their way already," he said with a calm smile, pausing and allowing the couple to register his scent; they seemed to be doing well, and he wasn't particularly worried about anything except for Seras's small size in comparison to the size of the children themselves. When he had waited a moment, he advanced. "Captain Victoria, might I ask you to allow me to check how your labor is progressing?"

Seras only hesitated for a moment before she nodded. "Yes, alright. It—" She broke off to wince. "It hurts," she finished tightly. "Can I... can I have his blood?" 

Pip watched the doctor carefully, though he continued to purr and whisper soothing words to his laboring mate.

Dr. Trevelyan smiled evenly at both of them. "Let's see how close you are, first, Captain. If you take your mate's blood too early, it could slow down the process significantly. For now, keep breathing deeply near the Captain's neck or inner wings. The scent will relax your muscles, which will in turn make the labor go smoother and faster," he instructed before approaching closer and began preparing his necessary tools. 

"But I want it now," whined Seras. However, she did as she was told and continued to inhale Pip's scent as much as she could, the smell dulling the pain like anesthetic and relaxing her. She hummed to him in reassurance, making sure he knew she was alright. 

After gently prodding and pressing his hand over her belly, Dr. Trevelyan hummed consideringly. "Well, they've already begun to descend and they all seem to be facing head down with wings tucked, so that's good news." He pulled on his gloves. "I'll have to see now how you're progressing and if there'll be problems with the children's' size… Captain, could you remove your underclothes and widen your legs, please?"

Seras bit her lip but nodded, sitting up clumsily and blushing as she pulled down her underwear and hiking up her legs. 

Integra looked away to give her friend privacy; that and it almost hurt to look at the happy couple.

Pip in contrast looked on closely, making sure that the doctor wasn’t hurting his mate. 

After a moment of examination, Dr. Trevelyan drew back with a sigh and a smile. "Well, everything seems to be going very well, very smoothly—in fact, it shouldn't be long now before the first one is here!" he announced, adjusting his glasses. "Captain, I will ask that you spread your legs a little wider and if you feel the urge to bear down, do so. At the first sensation of needing to push, bite down on your mate's neck and drink slowly. Let me know if you feel any pain at all afterward," he instructed gently, moving back to tie an apron over his uniform. 

"Oh, that's so good to hear," said Seras with a sigh, nuzzling into Pip. She nodded at Dr. Trevelyan's instructions, her face fearful but determined. "Ok, I... I will."

“Princess Integra, how are you feeling?" Dr. Trevelyan asked over his shoulder. He could only imagine how hard it must be for Integra to be around 

"Hmm?" said Integra with surprise, looking up suddenly. "I... I'm fine." She felt dreadful. 

"Integra, are you— _ hah _ !" Seras began with a frown, before her eyes widened and she bore down on the pain, pushing as she turned and sunk her eyeteeth into her mate's neck and taking gentle, slow pulls of his blood. Almost immediately the pain retreated, and she relaxed as she pushed.

Pip winced a little as Seras latched onto his neck, but soon relaxed and gently held her head to his throat. He stroked her soft hair and mumbled quiet encouragements in her ear, adjusting himself so she could drink comfortably from him without straining her neck. "Good girl, good girl, Seras… not long now."

Dr. Trevelyan nodded encouragingly at the couple. "The Captain is right—I see the head of the first already. Excellent work; make sure to take deep breaths of his scent after you swallow a mouthful of blood, keep those muscles relaxed,” he coached, relieved at how smoothly the delivery was going; it seemed the coupling of a Britannian with a Wallachian wasn't as disastrous as his medical textbooks had lead him to believe. If anything, it was going far smoother than a regular Wallachian labor. 

But he had his doubts about Princess Integra's, as she was without her mate. He shook the thought from his head and focused on the present.

After around a half hour of coaxing and guiding Seras into pushing, he was surprised to find that the first child arrived, quicker than he had expected. "Alright, let's see here, there should be—oh, here we are!" he patted the little fledgeling into consciousness and cleaned it off with professional speed and dexterity; it whimpered and squirmed as he handed it to its parents. "First one's a boy!"

Integra's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She had never seen a birth before, let alone a child that small; she supposed that was normal for Wallachians.  _ I don't suppose my birthing process is going to be so easy... _

"Oh, my god," Seras gasped, breaking away from Pip's neck to look at her first child. "A boy..." She took and held him, tears filling her eyes as she noted his tiny face and little golden wings. This was her child, her son, a baby that she had created. "Oh, Pip... he's beautiful, look at him, he's—" She cut herself off and hissed at the sensation of another contraction. "Take him," she said quickly to Pip. "I need to..." She bit him again, pushing as hard as she could. 

Pip took in a sharp breath, his eye wide with amazement and love. "Oh… oh, wow, he's..." He whispered in awe, taking in the tiny canary-yellow wings, the tuft of blonde hair, and the two little bumps on the top of the head where horns would form—his firstborn son. "Perfect, he's perfect like you, Seras." He choked back a sob of delight and accepted the baby into his arms to tuck him against his chest, purring loudly even as Seras bit him again. The little creature sniffled, cuddling against the relative warmth of his father, and began to purr back in a quiet little trill.

Another short expanse of time later. 

"Good girl, Seras, keep at it!" Pip encouraged, stroking his son's downy head and Seras's hair. "One down, two to go!"

"Actually, make that one to go," Dr. Trevelyan chuckled, drawing back with another fledgeling in his hands; he did the same with the first, cleaning it off quickly and rubbing its back till it began to whine and kick its legs. "Another boy!" he announced, handing the baby to his parents. "Last one shouldn't be too far behind, and the last one is usually the easiest out… keep pushing and breathing deeply, and they should be here soon."

Pip grinned at their second son and eagerly accepted him into his arms with the first, nuzzling at their little heads and purring happily. "Hey there, little guys! Look at you both, you're so little...and you've got my wings!" He whispered to the second fledgeling, petting the miniature wings with his finger.

Seras grunted as she pushed out the second child, looking at him with wide eyes and reaching out to touch the crown of his little golden head. "He's so beautiful..." she murmured reverently. Then she let out a breathy chuckle. "Two boys? I hope this one's a girl..." She took a deep breath and latched her mouth to Pip's neck again, taking one more pull of his blood as she pushed hard. 

Presently, the third child popped out, and she saw of a tuft of red hair and smiled happily. "Oh, Pip... they have your hair..." Her tears overflowed as she reached out for the child, wanting to soothe it.

"Seras, they're—they're all so perfect," Pip breathed tearily, a little lightheaded from having so much blood drained from his neck but grinning so wide his cheeks hurt. He helped Dr. Trevelyan pass the third child into his wife's arms after they'd been cleaned off, brushing his fingers over the wisps of red hair on the tiny head.

“That one’s the daughter you wanted, Captain,” Dr. Trevelyan announced with a smile.

The fledgeling whined and curled against her mother's chest, flapping little, fuzzy chestnut wings as she made herself comfortable.

"All three of them are just so beautiful, so sweet and little, I can't believe—" Pip choked on his tears and laughed, nuzzling his cheek against Seras's once before showering her in reverent kisses and praise. A tear streaked down his cheek from his good eye. "You were amazing, my incredible, strong Seras—you were so good, you're such a good mama already… thank you, love, thank you, I love you so much!"

"She's so beautiful... they're so beautiful..." said Seras in wonderment, her tears falling silently as she barely nuzzled Pip back; too busy purring to her new daughter. "Pip, I love you so much. I love them, I love you."

Integra bit her lip in the corner, pressing her hand to her stomach.

Dr. Trevelyan smiled in relief as he cleared away the bloodied feathers from the nest and finished up his work. With the two parents working in almost perfect sync with each other, the whole process had gone by quickly and without complication. He praised the gods for such an unexpectedly easy delivery, and added a prayer for Integra's sake; it would not be quite so painless for her, of that he was certain. "Three healthy fledgelings and one of the smoothest labors I've ever seen—congratulations, both of you. Excellent work, Captain Victoria." He said, dabbing away the sweat from his forehead. "They're hardy and mobile, so I don't foresee any problems...as they're of mixed blood, I recommend keeping them as warm as possible, so keep them close to you, Captain Victoria, or swaddled in furs if they're being held by you, Captain Bernadotte."

Seras looked up at Dr. Trevelyan with a weary smile. "Thank you, Dr. Trevelyan. I can't thank you enough. I... I'm so happy." She sniffled, brushing a finger over her daughter's tiny wings and listening to her coo. "God, they're so tiny. Pip, I'm almost afraid to touch them." 

"They're beautiful," said Integra from the corner, her tone unreadable. "Seras, you've outdone yourself. I'm so proud of you." 

"Thank you, my lady," said Seras with a weary smile, still looking at her children. She reached for her sons. "Pip, I want to hold them too."

Pip grinned tearily, purring in harmony with Seras and their children as he rested his head against hers. "I love them too, so much, every one of them. All three of them are just...incredible." He whispered, wiping at his eye and kissing his mate's cheeks, nosing away her tears tenderly. "You won't hurt them. Even though they're little, they're tough little guys--like you." Chuckling, he kissed his sons' downy blonde heads and, gently as if handling fine china, passed them into his mate's arms. They snuggled into their mother's warmth and whined in little high-pitched bursts to signify their hunger. He looked up to smile at Dr. Trevelyan gratefully. "Thanks, doc." He nodded in thanks to Integra as well before returning to coo over his children, stroking their heads and nuzzling against Seras's hair.

"You're very welcome, Captain. I'm pleased they all arrived safely and both you and your little ones are in good health." Dr. Trevelyan replied with a well-mannered nod of his head. 

"I'll be waiting in my room whenever you're ready, Doctor," Integra suddenly said, all business. She left the room quickly, walking through the halls towards her room.

The doctor sighed shortly and nodded, giving a short bow. "I'll be there at once, your highness.” He approached the couple in their nest with two sizable syringes, clearing his throat somewhat sheepishly. It was bad form to interrupt a nesting couple; the doctor's job was to ensure the nest and mother were healthy, then leave and allow them to bond by themselves. "Pardon me, Captains, but I'll need to take a bit of blood from Captain Bernadotte... Princess Integra has decided to deliver tonight."

"Sure, sure, of course," Pip nodded distractedly; he held out his arm but continued fussing over his family, cooing over every little movement or facial expression his children made.

"Thank you, sir," Dr. Trevelyan said once he had gathered the necessary blood. He bowed again. "Congratulations again, Captains. Please let my attendants know if there's anything you need--I suspect I'll be quite… occupied with Princess Integra's labor tonight."

“We’ll visit her as soon as we can,” Seras said, suddenly looking up with a smile. “I can’t wait to see her children.”

Dr. Trevelyan forced a smile in return, though it wasn't very convincing. He wasn't entirely certain that there would be anyone to visit by the time the night was out; he had never assisted a delivery without the father present to help. From what he had read, to be without a mate during labor lowered the chances of survival for both mother and children by a significant margin. He would do his best, but... "Yes, well...good night to the both of you. Remember, if there's any pain, take a sip from Captain Bernadotte and if it doesn't subside, send for one of my attendants. Again, congratulations."

As the doctor left, the happy couple settled in with their children. "They're just like you," said Seras happily, as she purred to her children. 

"Nah, they're too cute to be like me," Pip joked, rubbing his index finger against the firstborn's cheek and grinning when he grabbed clumsily at it.

Seras rolled her eyes. "You’re plenty cute, Pip. Oh! They're hungry, I think." The babies had begun to paw at her chest. She frowned. "Pip, I think you need to take off my shirt for me; I can't..." She winced as her breasts ached in preparation for feeding her children. "These things are finally going to shrink again. Thank God." 

Pip nodded, quickly undoing the buttons on the back of her dress and folding it over to uncover her chest, then unhooking her bra. "There. Though I can't say I feel the same...I'm gonna miss them like this. They deserve a warrior's farewell." Chuckling, he nuzzled at Seras's neck and rested his head on her shoulder, eye half-lidded with the exhaustion from lack of blood and sheer adoration from looking upon his children and wife. 

"Stop it, you pervert!" chastised Seras mildly, wincing as one of her children latched on to her breast. "Oof, that's... that's going to take some getting used to." She sighed happily, nuzzling Pip's head. 

Pip gave a huff of amusement, kissing Seras's neck before returning to rest his chin on her shoulder, gazing sleepily down at their nursing children. "I'm sure you'll get used to it soon...you're already such a good mum." He wrapped his arms around her waist and adjusted his wings so they formed a little tent around his family, purring all the while. "I just can't stop staring at them, Seras. They're our children. Three babies!" He sighed fondly. "It's so...wow..."

Seras sighed, purring loudly as her babies responded in kind. "And there will be more, soon," she said softly. "With my lady's..."

"We'll have a full nest for sure...if everything turns out alright, gods willing. But Princess Integra is tough, and her and Vladislav combined? Their kids are going to be unstoppable." Pip smiled, reaching around Seras's middle to brush his fingers over his children's heads as they nursed.

“True," agreed Seras, smiling bittersweetly at the thought of the both of them. 

Once they finished feeding, they yawned and ruffled their fuzzy wings, each one burrowing closer against the warmth of their mother's bare skin. They purred in sleepy, kitten-like breaths, filled up with milk and ready to nap. "Drinking and sleeping… that's the life, huh, guys?" Pip chuckled, giving Seras a gentle tug to urge her to lay down in their warm, soft nest. "I think we should take a page out of their book and rest, love. You've had a wild night."

"Oh, they're so cute!" Seras said, trying not to squeal. "Oh, my beautiful babies..." She sighed at Pip's tug. "I suppose you're right," she mumbled, lying down again. "I'll join them in a little nap..."

Pip grinned sleepily at Seras's exclamation, undoing his braid and shaking out his hair. "They're the cutest," he agreed with an adoring sigh, placing an arm and a wing over his children and Seras. The fledgelings purred as they nestled into the soft down of their nest, huddling together in the cozy gap between their parents' bodies.

"Hey… I love you, Seras," Pip whispered, rubbing Seras's hip with his thumb as his eyes drifted shut. "I couldn't ask for a more beautiful mate… cuter fledgelings… comfier nest..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for bearing with us!!!!! Both the authors are currently now working, so we're not going to promise regular weekly updates, but we won't let the time pass as much as it did this time.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I want to reiterate to you how dangerous this labor will be to undertake without a mate or a substitute—for both you and your children. Knowing that, do you still wish to do this?"
> 
> "Yes, I do wish to do this. They will survive. If I have to give my life for theirs, I will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for continuing to bear with us! Enjoy some LIL BABIES!

Meanwhile, Integra lay down in her nest, heart pounding as she considered her fate. She was about to force her children out; what a terribly barbaric thing to do as a mother. She was about to risk her life and theirs. For the fiftieth time, she damned Radu to the pits of hell for the torture she was experiencing. God, she was frightened.

Presently, Dr. Trevelyan knocked once and let himself in, trying to give his patient a reassuring smile. "How are you feeling, Queen Integra?" he asked gently, setting his bag down again. 

Integra looked up with a grim expression on her face. "Hello," she said mildly. "I'm feeling fine." 

Dr. Trevelyan winced; she looked the complete opposite of fine. "If you'd prefer not to undertake this tonight, I understand,” he said, still in the same gentle tone. “You can rest for a couple hours if you'd like and we could induce the labor in the early morning, when-"

"No!" Integra immediately blurted out. At her realization of the outburst, she sighed and swallowed the lump in her throat. "No, I do not wish to wait. I want to do this. I want to get it over with."

Dr. Trevelyan blinked in surprise at Integra's outburst, but nodded in acquiescence as she reiterated her decision in a softer voice. "Alright, if you believe you're ready, your highness." he said, turning to his bag and taking out a sealed bottle of pale green liquid. With a frown, he handed it to Integra. "Drinking this should induce labor in under ten minutes. But before you take it, I… want to reiterate to you how dangerous this labor will be to undertake without a mate or a substitute—for both you and your children. Knowing that, do you still wish to do this?"

Integra's will wavered for a moment, and she looked down at her swollen stomach with watery eyes "I don't know, I..." Her voice trailed off, and she looked up at Dr. Trevelyan with a determined expression. "Yes, I do wish to do this. The longer I wait, the more likely it is that Radu will attempt to poison my children himself. Alucard... I hope Alucard would agree." She sighed, rubbing her stomach. "They will survive. If I have to give my life for theirs, I will."

"That's true." Dr. Trevelyan's eyebrows knitted with sympathy and he nodded in agreement. The Queen was a truly brave woman, a picturesque warrior even in the face of such fear; he hoped he could do her justice. "If that is what you wish, milady, than I shall do my utmost to help you. I hope it will not come to the loss of your life—to lose you would be to lose a very remarkable woman indeed, if I may say so." 

Integra's stomach clenched at how apprehensive the doctor looked, still she smiled slightly at his compliment. "You're too kind, Doctor." 

Dr. Trevelyan held the drink out to her. "Gods willing, you'll be nursing your children by morning."

Integra eyed the drink for a moment, before taking it with a steady hand. "May all the Gods be kind to me," she agreed, before gulping down the liquid. It was surprisingly sweet; too sweet, almost sickly. She made a face as she gave the glass back to the doctor, before lying back in her nest and taking a deep breath.

Dr. Trevelyan set the empty bottle aside with a grim smile and spent the next eight minutes organizing his inventory.

Approximately eight minutes in, a searing pain ripped through Integra’s lower body. She gasped sharply, curling in on herself and clutching her stomach protectively. "I... I think that it's...  _ hhh _ ," she hissed, the pain shooting through her again. "I think it's working..."

The Doctor’s head jerked up in mild surprise as Integra gasped and clutched her stomach, and he headed over to her, pulling on a fresh pair of gloves. "I believe so," he replied, lifting a rag from a shirt of Alucard's that still hadn't lost his scent, from the royal couple's second heat together—Integra had pointed it out to him earlier that month. "Here, hold this to your nose and breathe as deeply as you can. Gods willing, it will make this go a bit quicker by relaxing your muscles," he instructed, prodding around her swollen belly with a frown. 

"I will," said Integra tensely, taking the rag and pressing it to her nose. She inhaled, groaning in satisfaction and longing as the scent of her lost mate hit her nose. It was so soothing and distracting that she did not register Dr. Trevelyan's prodding, but she did hear his words.

"Yes, the mixture did its job; they're descending. I believe they're in the right position as well, but your muscles are locked tight with tension, making their movements slower and more irregularly paced, quite painful..." Dr. Trevelyan rubbed at his chin. "Hopefully that rag has enough scent in it to help somewhat."

Integra inhaled sharply, before trying to regulate her breathing and slow her pounding heart. "I...yes, let's—" She broke off and winced, a small whimper escaping her lips as another bolt of pain shot through her. "Oh God, it's like I'm breaking. It feels like they're breaking me from the inside."

Dr. Trevelyan's eyebrows furrowed at Integra's whimper of pain. The rag's scent hadn't had as significant an effect as he would've hoped. "Yes, that is most likely the fledgelings situating themselves for their delivery order, but your muscles are too locked with pain to fully accommodate the movement… keep breathing in that scent and try moving onto your back, stretching out your spine, your highness. It might alleviate some of the pressure," he coached, checking Integra's pulse before moving around to her feet.

Integra nodded at his explanation, breathing heavily. "I... I see..." she said, moving onto her back and doing as she was told. Much to her relief, it did seem to alleviate the pain, at least slightly.

"Now, when you feel like you can, I'll need you to remove your underclothes and spread your legs wide, like you saw Captain Victoria-Bernadotte do earlier. I need to assess how far into labor you are… but I fear that based on the slowness of the fledgelings' descent, you may only be in the beginning stages yet. In order to prevent this process from slowing or even stopping entirely, I cannot give you the easing blood until you've progressed further. I am sorry, my lady.

Integra felt a twinge of embarrassment and sighed, chastising herself for feeling awkward about her birthing process.  _ You can take the woman out of Britannia, but you can't take the Britannian out of the woman, I suppose. _ She leaned down, struggling over her distended stomach to remove her underclothes. She tossed them to the side, lying back onto her nest. Instinctively she squirmed, looking for a large warm body to curl up against. She found no one. She was alone. Tears filled her eyes at both that and Dr. Trevelyan's words, but she nodded. "The beginning stages... God help me." 

Dr. Trevelyan gave a curt nod of thanks to Integra's obedience and a sympathetic frown when she instinctively attempted to nestle against a mate that wasn't there. The doctor had seen decades' worth of suffering, but the sight of the Queen without her mate was so tragic that he had to turn away, covering his action by searching for the rubber stick in his bag. “If you… feel the need to cry out or bite down on something, I have a rubber stick you could use."

Integra thought for a moment, before nodding. "I.... I suppose the stick would be wise. I don't want Radu hearing me."

Dr. Trevelyan promptly handed the stick to Integra before lowering to assess how far along she was.

But even a quick glance told him the first fledgeling was not even close to being delivered. In fact, it seemed like it might take hours of pushing to even reach the point where he could give her the easing blood—but by then, he worried she would have lost too much blood and energy straining to deliver the children alive. With a sigh, he stood to his full height. "Unfortunately, my lady, I think we have a long and difficult night ahead of us. I...I won't lie to you, Queen Integra, the chances of one—if any—of your children surviving this labor are not high." He steeled his gaze, straightening up. "But not impossible. If you remain resolute and strong and the gods are merciful, we may conquer nature itself tonight."

"Oh, God," moaned Integra, wincing as another bolt of pain went through her. She would have to bear a whole night of this agonizing hell. "I... are you sure they're not ready to come out? They feel... _mmmh_!" She managed to put the rubber stick in her mouth before the next searing pain, muffling her voice considerably. When it was over again, she took the stick out to speak. "I refuse to let any of my children die," she growled through panting breaths. Sweat was beading at her temples. "It won't happen. I will not allow it to happen—fuck!" She managed to put the rubber stick in on time again, groaning into it and grinding her teeth against it. 

Four hours later, and Integra was still determined to push. But the pain was becoming overwhelming, and she had to bite her lip until it bled whenever the rubber stick was not in her mouth. "Doctor, please," she said with tears starting to stream down her face. "Is it time? Can I have the blood? God, I need something, I need something... I'm breaking apart, it hurts so much... Are my children alright?"

Over the hours, Dr. Trevelyan had worked tirelessly to staunch the bleeding and clear away the bloodied feathers, coach the ailing Queen upon when to push and when to rest, occasionally even simply lending his hand to be squeezed tightly. The copious bleeding that had become to pass with every push and the sheer length of the labor was deeply worrying, but just when he was about to suggest she stop for her own sake, that it was a lost cause and she should allow her body to miscarry naturally, he noticed the crown of a head.

Surprised, he nodded and grabbed the syringes from his bag. "I—yes, yes, you can have the blood," He stammered, taking Integra's arm and injecting the easing blood directly but gradually into the crook of her elbow. "That should take away the pain for a bit, my lady...and, ah, gods willing, I think your firstborn will be here soon!" He told her with a faint smile.

Integra looked up in shock, her eyes rolling back in bliss as the blood entered her body. It was foreign, but good; it dulled the pain and made her feel somewhat more relaxed. "That feels... amazing..." she moaned. "I could kiss that Captain..." 

Chuckling, Dr. Trevelyan withdrew the syringe and set it aside. "I think Captain Victoria might have some reservations about that, milady," He joked before sobering up and went around to Integra's feet as she began to push in earnest. He winced at the amount of blood that was still coming, but steeled himself and prepared for the firstborn to arrive. It didn't look like it would be long now—Thank the gods, if it was any longer neither mother or children would survive...

Integra whined and writhed in the nest, desperate for touch and comfort from her absent mate. "Where is Alucard?" she said suddenly, eyes glazed. "Is he coming?"

Dr. Trevelyan’s smile fell and he squeezed her hand sympathetically. "He… he will be here soon, I'm certain. You just have to wait a bit longer.”

"I... I know it… I know he will,” Integra said with a weary smile. “I'll wait for him. I'll keep waiting." 

The doctor nodded nervously, before getting back to business. “Now, once the pain fades, I need you to bare down when you feel a faint twinge in your stomach..."

Soon Integra did feel the telling twinge in her stomach; she screamed through the rubber stick and pushed as hard as she could.  _ Come on, baby, _ she thought to the life inside of her.  _ I'm doing this for you. For your father. _

"Good, good, Queen Integra, you're almost there, they're almost—and here we are!" Dr. Trevelyan exclaimed with relief, gently assisting the child out and rubbing breath into them before wiping the blood away. The fledgeling whined and kicked its legs, flapping its damp wings.

"Congratulations, this one's a girl," he announced with a pleased sigh. "And blessedly healthy despite it all. Now, you've delivered your first so the other two should be on their way soon enough, much easier…”

Integra’s scream petered off as she felt the child leave her body, gasping from surprise and lack of breath as she looked at her first baby, her daughter. "Oh, my God," she said softly, a few tears leaving her eyes as she watched Dr. Trevelyan place the child at her side, reaching out to touch her little nose. "She has... my wings... his hair; look, Alucard, she has your hair..." 

Dr. Trevelyan gave a wan smile at Integra's joy upon seeing her daughter and speaking to her mate that wasn't there. "She's beautiful, my lady. I'm sure Prince Vladislav will be very proud." 

As Integra continued to coo at her daughter, Dr. Trevelyan continued to monitor Integra’s state as he waited for the next round of contractions. Finally, he said, “I think this next one should be here with another good push.” 

Integra felt it too; she broke off into another hoarse scream as she felt the next child arriving and pushed as hard as she could.

Dr. Trevelyan bit his lip nervously; he had his doubts that the next two children would survive the labor. He exhaled with relief as he scrubbed the second born clean and, after giving its back a pat, it coughed and began to squirm in his hands, tiny black, fuzzy wings unfolding.

"Ah, and this one's a girl as well—she looks just like you, with the prince's wings. I'll place her with her sister," he said. He looked the little grumbling creature over for any problems, but she seemed healthy as the first; truly a blessing from the gods after such a dangerous labor. He set her down into the nest beside the firstborn; the two bumped blindly against one another before curling up in the downy white feathers of their mother. 

"Beautiful..." murmured Integra in a daze, her wings twitching before relaxing as the fledglings situated themselves in. "Oh, it's your wings.... Alucard, your wings... and your skin..." She sighed, reaching out to put a gentle hand on both of her babies. "Hello," she said, mustering up an exhausted smile. 

Dr. Trevelyan nodded approvingly as the two newborns nestled themselves against their mother, pressing their heads into her warm palm and purring in quiet, sleepy breaths. He smiled at their natural, healthy behavior before he paused, running his palm over Integra's stomach and pressing down gently in places. He hummed curiously. "Hm, perhaps I was mistaken… it doesn't seem like there's another still to come."

Integra’s smile slid off of her face as she heard Dr. Trevelyan's words. "What?" she said, looking up in shock. "But... but there were three..."

Dr. Trevelyan sighed, his hand still resting on Integra's stomach. "I'm sorry, milady, but I… well, I suppose I miscalculated.”

"But...  but there were three..." said Integra, feeling lost even as she kept the hand on her babies to make sure they were safe and secure. "You said... Alucard said..."

“Forgive me, I—" Dr. Trevelyan began, feeling wretched. But he broke off and blinked as he felt a very faint stirring beneath his fingers. Withdrawing his hand, his mind whirred with possibilities. "Perhaps… perhaps I wasn’t mistaken after all. Damn, I hope it's not—Queen Integra, if you feel any remaining faint twinges, bear down on them, hard. It shouldn't hurt much—I believe your third child is a runt but nonetheless, it needs to be delivered," he instructed quickly, returning to the foot of the bed and moving her legs apart gently. Sighing again, he readied for the final delivery. "Runts always give such trouble even when they're so small… apologies, milady. I know you were hoping for a full nest, but I suppose… nature isn't always so kind."

Integra’s eyes widened. "A runt?" she repeated, before laughing. "Of course it's a runt... Alucard, did you hear that? Just like you..." She looked at Dr. Trevelyan in surprise. "What? No. I... it will be a full nest. It has to be. For Alucard..." 

Dr. Trevelyan sighed wearily, wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. "Yes, unfortunately having runts tend to run in the family line on the late King's side...a shame." He glanced up to meet Integra's eyes as she determinedly stated her nest would be healthy, eyebrows furrowed, but said nothing. She was in a state of delirium; it was never pleasant to deliver a stillborn, but it would do no good for her to remain in denial, potentially neglecting her living children in favor of…

He shook his head and readied himself as Integra pushed and pushed, until she pushed one final time. Seconds later the runt came out, piteously small, pale, and soaked with blood. Its tiny back rose and fell shallowly, rasping as it shivered. "Ah… it's a runt, alright. One of the smallest I've seen."

Integra gasped as soon as her third child was out of her, looking up immediately and letting out a sob of relief when she saw that it was breathing. "It's alive, it's... oh my God, what a little thing." She laughed suddenly, feeling a rush of endorphins. 

The doctor sighed again and wiped the pathetic creature off slowly, certain that Integra wouldn't want to hold the scrawny little thing. "Apologies, my lady. But two out of three surviving isn't bad, not at all! In fact, those odds are far beyond what I had expected for this labor."

Integra looked up at him in shock. "What... you..." She frowned, setting her jaw despite her supreme exhaustion. "Doctor," she said, her voice low. "Give me my child. It's alive. It's mine." 

Her two other babies twitched and mewled unhappily as they felt their mother's displeasure.

Dr. Trevelyan gave a look of surprise before frowning worriedly. He had hoped this wouldn't happen whether the runt came out alive or not, but the Queen seemed determined to care for it herself. "Queen Integra, that's a very... kind gesture, but this little one won't survive the night, I can assure you of that..." he told her gently as the runt gave a weak whimper, trembling in his hands as it nosed around for its mother.

Integra's lips curled into a snarl as the child in her doctor's hands whimpered and searched for her. "Give. Me. My. Child," she said, in a tone that threatened violence if Dr. Trevelyan did not follow her orders. 

Dr. Trevelyan gulped as Integra bore her fangs at him; even in her weakened state, Queen Integra was not a woman to be trifled with. He worried his lip a moment as he considered what should be done. It would be cruel to let her bond with a child that would last perhaps an hour or two more, but orders were orders. "But… as you wish, my lady. It's a boy."

Gently, he deposited the runt among its siblings, where it promptly wriggled through the fluff of the nest to Integra's side, curling against the heat of her body, still whimpering softly. The other two children seemed to pick up on their youngest sibling's cue and did the same, though they were far more demanding for attention than their brother, purring quite loudly for such little creatures. "Congratulations, Queen Integra. I...I honestly had not expected such a positive outcome. You are a truly remarkable woman for surviving such...well, agony is the only word to put it, really. You have a beautiful pair—excuse me, nest, of children."

Immediately Integra relaxed and gently scooped her children up, wondering at how small yet perfect they were. She began to purr loudly, their purrs pulling hers out just as Alucard's often did. "A boy... he..." The small child opened his eyes, and she gasped, tears filling her own. "Look, Alucard! It's your eyes, he has your beautiful eyes." Indeed, the child's eyes were a deep bloodred, sweet as his father's. "Oh, he's... they're all so beautiful..." 

Instinctively she pulled the chest of her nightgown down, exposing her breasts for the children to feed. Gently she moved the two girls to share one nipple, knowing that her son would need one all to himself. She winced as they latched on hungrily, but the weary smile moved back onto her face as she watched them, tears streaming down her cheeks. Every bone in her body was exhausted, but she would stay awake to watch her children for as long as it took. "Thank you," she said distantly, only sparing Dr. Trevelyan a single glance. "I couldn't have done it without you. And Alucard, of course."

The doctor watched with a hard smile as the princess guided the two first children to share one breast and the runt to the other. "They're beautiful indeed," He agreed quietly while he meticulously cleared away the blood-soaked feathers from the nest, brushing clean feathers from the other side of the nest to replace them and prevent infection. The fledgelings nursed in greedy gulps, the two eldest occasionally bumping the other over with a grunt of annoyance. The smallest, however, continually broke away to cough weakly, his little red eyes watering, before trying to feed again. 

Integra frowned every time her smallest child coughed, rubbing his back with one finger and cooing to him in encouragement even as she used her other hand to make sure that her two eldest were sharing. 

"And you are welcome, my lady. I'm certain Prince Vladislav would be absolutely enthralled by them were he here to see them himself." Wiping his forehead from sweat, his smile faded to a frown. "But I truly wouldn't recommend halving the milk intake for the two eldest, healthy children instead of setting the runt aside entirely. Queen Integra, I recognize it's difficult to accept that the final fledgeling is dying as we speak, but I implore you to listen to reason." He sighed. "It's what Prince Vladislav would've wanted, were he here."

Integra smiled at the doctor’s words, before frowning at his suggestion. "I don't know how you people raise your children, here in Wallachia, but I am not about to let any child of mine die. I carried him, I gave birth to him. He's mine and Alucard's, and he is going to live to see his father. And if Alucard would have a problem with that, he can go fuck himself." She pressed a hand to her mouth in shock when she realized she had just swore in front of her babies. "None of you heard that, right?" she cooed, running a hand through their tufted hair. "You're so little and perfect. I couldn't be more pleased. When your father gets back he's going to be so happy."

Dr. Trevelyan gave a resigned sigh as Integra defended her choice to keep the runt alive rather than spare herself the heartache. "Well… if you are determined to try, then far be it from my power to stop you, your highness. I only wish to spare you unnecessary pain later, should… should the runt pass away. It isn't common for one so little and frail to last upward of a day, at most," he replied gently, tugging off his gloves and placing them in the wastebin. The doctor paused to look at the happy mother and congratulate himself belatedly on a job well done; three out of four lives saved was far better than he had expected, after all.

The two eldest fledgelings continued to nurse eagerly, their little wings flapping with every swallow; however, the runt broke away to cough roughly again but seemed to give up on feeding afterward. Instead he curled up against the warmth of his mother's chest, shivering a little under his speckled black-and-white wings. 

"He will live a full and happy life," said Integra stubbornly, looking down at her fledgeling. "I will not allow my child to die before I do." She clicked her tongue as she saw her youngest give up on feeding. "Don't be ridiculous," she chastised gently. "You need to eat more than they do." She gently moved the black-haired fledgling to her other breast, so that each daughter had her own nipple. Then she carefully swiped a finger between their mouths and her milk, pushing the droplets she received into her son's mouth.

The firstborn gave an irritable whine of protest when she was moved, but was quickly satisfied by the change and began to nurse again with little demanding grunts, purring in response to her mother's purrs. The middle child was quieter but no less greedy than her elder sister, looking pleased to have more milk to herself as she gave measured flaps of her fuzzy black wings and quiet purrs. Finally, the runt protested feebly at his mother's attempts to feed him by hand at first, fearing instinctively that he would cough again, but soon accepted the droplets as easier to swallow and soon was whimpering for more. 

Integra chuckled through her tears at her eldest daughter's behavior. "Greedy," she said mildly. "You're going to be a strong one, hmmm?"

Dr. Trevelyan let her be with her children for a moment before clearing his throat. "Queen Integra, I will be able to grant you a week of medical isolation; that is to say, I can keep Prince Radu from coming in for a week at most by claiming your status as critical from your 'miscarriage'. But I'm afraid that after that time period, you must surrender your children to the Captains for their safety—er, provided your husband does not return in the meantime." He reminded her, eyeing the runt warily.

Though she was busy feeding her youngest, Integra absorbed what Dr. Trevelyan was saying . "I understand. A week, that's..." She sighed, never stopping her soothing purr for children. "One mere week." She closed her eyes briefly, tears leaking down her cheeks.

The youngest fledgling flinched as a tear fell on his head and blinked blearily up at his mother, giving a questioning trill.

"No, little one," Integra said quickly, biting her sore lip in an effort to stop herself from crying anymore. "It's alright. Mama is just... just a little sad right now. It will make me happy if you eat for me." She held out another droplet of milk on her finger, parting his tiny lips.

Dr. Trevelyan bowed his head, frowning deeply. He wished more than anything that he could do more, but he knew any later and Radu would catch wise to their plan. "I am... very sorry, my lady. Truly, I am. I wish I could give you more time with them somehow..." He trailed off, knowing no words would be able to ease Integra's grief at being separated from her babies. "But you'll… still be able to see them, at least, and know that they are loved and well cared for."

"I understand, Doctor," Integra said softly. "With any hope, Alucard will come back before then. I... I suppose that is the silver lining.” 

Dr. Trevelyan gave a solemn nod, sighing deeply. "Gods willing, the true king will return to us soon, yes." 

The black-haired firstborn gave another, louder grunt almost in response to her mother's question before her purrs rose in volume, clearly enjoying herself. Eventually her blue eyes began to droop—but she kept nursing despite drifting off to sleep. The second daughter was more moderate, drawing away with a wide yawn that displayed tiny white eyeteeth before slumping against her mother's warm chest. Her son, though, stared up at his mother for a moment longer before she held out her finger to him. He seemed to consider it before closing his mouth around it obediently. A quiet, slightly crackling purr rose from his throat again.

"Oh,  _ you're _ tired?" said Integra dryly, smiling at her eldest fledglings as they began dropping off to sleep. "I can't imagine.... yes, good boy," she said to the last one. "I suppose I'll have to feed you all night." She looked up at the doctor once more. “Will... is there any way you could make an excuse for me to nurse them? Because Seras has too many to care for alone and mine supposedly... well. Is that possible?"

After a moment of thought, the doctor nodded. "I believe so. Six babies would indeed be quite an undertaking for the Captain alone… but seeing as you have an excess of milk from your supposed miscarriage, it would stand to reason that you would help your attendant and friend by nursing half of her nest. Breastfeeding will also prevent conception so as long as you're able, I recommend it to prevent Prince Radu's… plan."

Integra’s eyes lit up at his words. "Really? That... oh, God, that would mean everything to me. If, of course... if the tyrant allows it." She grit her teeth. "His plan. Good God. I would rather die a thousand deaths than carry his monstrous progeny. I'd almost welcome back the pigman."

The eldest fledgeling eventually nodded off mid-nurse and her little head dropped against Integra's chest with a faint thump—not quite as graceful as her younger sister, who tucked herself neatly into a ball in the crook of her mother's arm and covered her face with her wings. The third gave a pleased trill at being fed but his own red eyes began to get a little heavy like his sisters. However, he startled himself awake with a sneeze, blinking in confusion at what had caused such a noise before looking up to his mother as if she could tell him.

The doctor saw the runt’s confusion and sighed through his nose before he began packing away his things. "I will do my utmost to convince him, my lady. Trusted wetnurses are in quite a shortage in the castle, so I can't imagine he would deny your request...but then again, he is a capricious man." He shook his head in disdain. "I shudder to think of either. He has no right to take Prince Vladislav's place as—well. It doesn't bear thinking of just yet. For now, I will leave you for the night and come see you in… say, six hours?"

Integra snorted at her eldest fledgling's lack of grace, and resisted a full-on chuckle when her youngest woke himself up with a sneeze. "That was a sneeze," she said gently, wincing as she squeezed her own breast in order to get more milk out. "You're a sickly little man. You'll have to work hard to catch up with your sisters, now won't you?" 

She looked up again. "Thank you, Doctor," she said sincerely. "Just... just tell him that breastfeeding will make me more obedient, or some other such rubbish. He doesn't know anything about the female body. And yes, I suppose that I won't think of it right now." Her heart clenched in her chest. "I wish he was here, Doctor. I wish that Alucard could see his children." She sighed. "Six hours sounds acceptable. Thank you once again."

Dr. Trevelyan bowed in return to Integra's thanks. "It is an honor and a privilege to assist you, my lady. I'm sure I'll come up with something sufficiently scientific-sounding to tell the prince. Luckily, Wallachian fledgelings don't cry out unless in severe pain—the loudest they'll get is with whimpering or whines of hunger, so I don't believe the prince will come investigating." His frown turned melancholy as he straightened up. "As do I, my lady… as do I. He would have been so delighted to finally have a family of his own." Shaking his head, he sighed and picked up his bag. "You are very welcome, Queen Integra. Call upon me earlier if you have need."

The youngest furrowed his brow for a moment as he gazed up at his mother then sneezed again, giving a full-body shiver afterward. He whined pitiably and buried his face against Integra's chest, seeking out her warmth and reassuring purrs.

"Of course," said Integra immediately, shushing her youngest fledgling and grabbing one of the blankets that Dr. Trevelyan had brought in to swaddle him gently. "I'm here for you, little warrior," she told him. "I have you, and I'm going to make sure you live to see not only this sunrise, but thousands of sunrises beyond it." 

Dr. Trevelyan left, and Integra stayed up all night. Even if her children were all perfectly healthy, she may have been tempted to stay up anyway. But her youngest fledgling was so weak, so frail and fickle. He would shiver from cold one minute, sweat and pant from overheating the next, and finally he would whimper every so often for less than a drop of milk, which would satisfy his hunger only briefly. Integra had her hands completely full. Occasionally during the night, she murmured pleadingly to Alucard, asking him to take his son for a moment. Then she would remember, and the tears would fall briefly before she would shake herself up and awake to care for her youngest. The entire night, she thought of what names to give them as well. She and Alucard had talked about a few, of course, but they didn't know how many they would have nor what genders they would be.

By the time the sun began to rise, Integra was almost moving mechanically as she cared for her three children. Her eyes were glazed over with deep bags beneath them and she was dizzy from lack of nutrients and breathing heavily, but she was awake and nothing was going to stop her from her duties as a mother. Not Radu, and not anyone else.

Early the next morning, there came a knock at the door and Dr. Trevelyan quietly opened it, peering into the bedroom. "Princess Integra, it's Dr. Trevelyan; I've come by to see how you and the little ones are getting along." He shut the door behind him and bolted it, ensuring no prying eyes would interrupt them. He approached the new mother cautiously, taking in her heavy eyes and clear exhaustion and hurrying forward. "Good gods, your highness, have you been up all night? You're going to make yourself terribly ill, no rest and nursing all night after losing so much blood… gracious." He drew a blanket from the folded pile in the corner and wrapped it around his patient's shoulders before returning to his bag, where he took out a thermos and a wrapped loaf of bread. "Really, Queen Integra, what were you thinking?"

The eldest ruffled her feathers and sat up in the nest, looking bleary-eyed but alert. Her sister slept on, oblivious, and her little brother was taking a nap in his mother's arms, curled into an impossibly tiny bundle and snoring faintly.

Integra had tensed and hissed at the door before realizing who it was. She relaxed and mustered up a ghastly looking smile at Dr. Trevelyan, sighing and cuddling into the blanket with a mumble of thanks. "I... I had to," she said hoarsely, eyeing the thermos and bread with ravenous eyes. "Mircea... he needed me. They all needed me at some point, but he never stopped." She smiled, despite her words, leaning back in the nest. "But he's alive. My babies are all alive." She reached out to affectionately press a finger on her eldest's nose. "And some of them are awake, apparently. Say hello to Dr. Trevelyan, Magdalena." 

Magdalena regarded the man in front of her with a puzzled expression, before hissing at him and backing up against her mother. Integra sighed, putting an arm around her which she immediately nipped affectionately with her gummed, toothless mouth.

Dr. Trevelyan clicked his tongue in disapproval of Integra's decision to stay up with the runt; he was, however, surprised to see it still alive, and its siblings looking healthy as ever. "I see. Well, I...I am impressed you managed to keep him through the night." He passed the thermos of tea and the wrapped loaf to Integra, but he couldn't resist a smile as Magdalena hissed up at him.

"Of course I did," said Integra proudly, tilting her head up. "At any rate, these children are Hellsings. None of them are going to give up so easily." She took the tea and gulped it down, ignoring the fact that it was still a bit too hot, before biting off a chunk of bread and chewing it ravenously. 

Dr. Trevelyan nodded. "You and your children are fearsome, my Queen. Magdalena, is it? A beautiful name for a beautiful fledgeling. And you said you named the runt—er, the youngest… Mircea? Might I ask why, your highness?" He questioned as the middle child sat up, grunted sleepily, and dropped back into the nest with a puff of down.

Integra smiled and preened at Dr. Trevelyan's compliment. "Thank you, Doctor." She looked down at her middle child. "This one is Hadley." She gently stroked Hadley's arm and sighed at the question. "I just thought... our troubles began when Mircea was taken away from us. If I gave him back..." She shook her head. "It's foolish. But I thought if I gave Mircea back, everything might be ok again."

The doctor smiled a little at Integra's appetite and words; it was good to see she wasn't too nauseous to eat or think rationally. He had been expecting her to be too lethargic to even drink after so much blood loss. "Hadley, Magdalena, and Mircea… all good names for Wallachian heirs. I'm sure Prince Vladislav will approve once he returns," he replied as Hadley's fluffy feathers ruffled at her mother's touch and a quiet, sleepy purr rose from her little body. 

Magdalena, however, gave a jealous little growl and rested her head against Integra's hip for attention, too small to crawl onto her leg. Mircea slept on, nuzzling a little closer to Integra's chest with a faint grumble. "Queen Integra, why don't you let me tend to them for a while and you get some rest? I need to give them a checkup and assess how they're faring anyhow; you need some sleep."

Integra took another bite of bread and chewed it hungrily, washing it down with a swig of tea. She chuckled as Magdalena growled, scooping her up onto her chest next to Mircea. "Greedy, greedy. Just as desperate for attention as your father." She looked up when Dr. Trevelyan asked her, guarded and fierce. "Doctor, I swear to you, if you take Mircea away while I'm asleep I shall hunt you down and rip your limbs off one by one." She was not exaggerating.

Magdalena gave a happy trill as she was picked up, immediately cuddling into Integra's chest and purring so forcefully her tiny feathers trembled on every exhale, her expression of bliss almost a copy of her father's when he was particularly pleased. A lump came to Integra's throat as she noticed the similarity between Magdalena and her departed husband, but it still made her smile. 

Dr. Trevelyan chuckled at Magdalena's eagerness to be held before holding up his hands in surrender. "Queen Integra, I assure you I have no intention of harming any one of your children; I may not agree with your decision to attempt to raise a runt, but I would not go against your orders and have him disposed of." He told his patient seriously, "I simply wish for you to get some rest, and make certain there are no lasting disabilities or problems with the fledgelings in the meantime. Is that acceptable to you?"

Mircea whined at Magdalena’s purring, the noise so close to his ears, and blinked blearily up at his mother as if questioning what had woke him up, squinting in the early morning light.

"Good morning, little warrior," she said to Mircea fondly. "I told you that I'd make you see the sunrise." She regarded Dr. Trevelyan for another moment, before nodding and relaxing. "Very well," she said. "Take them. I..." She yawned widely. "I suppose I could use a bit of sleep..." She lay back in her nest, eyes closing.

Dr. Trevelyan looked exasperated but fond of the little family, gently scooping up the fledgelings in his arms. They squirmed and protested a bit to be taken away from their mother, but after a calming scratch under their wings, they quieted, allowing their mother to take a well-earned rest. "Sleep well, my Queen. I'll take good care of them."

* * *

Far away in the deepest prison cell of Il Vaticano, the true King of Wallachia slept. Beaten and slashed with blessed silver, he looked decidedly the worse for wear, and sleep was clearly his only escape from the constant torture he experienced. But in sleep, he twitched and smiled. 

He smiled, because for a moment his subconscious gave him the sweet dream of three fledglings wrapped in their mother’s arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately updates are probably not going to come any faster. But they will CONTINUE to come! We promise!
> 
> (And thank you for your comments! Nothing encourages us more than comments! <3)

**Author's Note:**

> serasvictorian can be found at victorianho.tumblr.com
> 
> gwenchou can be found at aluwucard.tumblr.com
> 
> updates will be weekly unless notice is given otherwise


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